Group debating historic depot's future
SANDPOINT — With reports of vandalism and hints that it will soon be abandoned, the future of Sandpoint’s train depot is uncertain at best. However, that hasn’t stopped a group of depot advocates from fighting to save the 93-year-old structure.
Approximately 25 people representing the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association, City Council, Historic Preservation Commission, Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and Schweitzer Mountain Resort met Tuesday at City Hall to discuss the depot’s future.
The council will meet again next Wednesday with representatives from BNSF Railways, which owns the depot, and Amtrak, which operates the Empire Builder route that stops in Sandpoint.
The crux of both meetings is to decide what, if anything, should be done with the deteriorating building. The depot has been closed to the public for several months due to a leaky roof, and Amtrak officials have publicly stated they might abandon the stop.
Depot supports, including Carrie Logan, have floated the idea of the city purchasing the structure.
BNSF offered up the building in 2003 for $1 — a proposal Logan hopes is still on the table. Rather than keeping the depot under city control, Logan said it would be best to lease the building to a private individual or corporation.
Ideally, the building could serve as both a train stop and a commercial enterprise, according to Logan.
Before that can happen, Logan said she and her colleagues need more assurance about the depot’s long-term economic viability.
“We know the historic value, we know the transportation value, but we don’t know the economic value,” she said.
“So we’re looking for information to develop that and see what people’s interests are and how they can contribute.”
Aric Spence chairs the Sandpoint Historic reservationCommission’s depot subcommittee and has spend months working with the city, BNSF and Amtrak to find way to keep the depot open.
Like Logan, Spence believes the best solution would be for either the city or the Preservation Commission to purchase the depot and begin raising funds to renovate it. He hopes the council will back the plan, but fears some within the city will balk.
“Some people look at in financial terms and just say, ‘Well, this is going to cost money and the benefit is not immediate, so we can’t spend money on it,’” he said. “I have a harder time with that because I feel like politicians should really take a long view and have a vision for the city, particularly the mayor.”
The council passed a resolution of support for the depot at its July meeting, but the document omitted any mention of purchasing the building. Mayor Gretchen Hellar has voiced skepticism about the depot’s money-making potential and called plans to buy the structure “pie in the sky.”
Wednesday’s meeting will also include a depot tour beginning at 10 a.m. The actual meeting will begin at City Hall at 1 p.m. The public is welcome to attend, but the meeting agenda does not include a time for public comment.