Burlington community gathers at the Depot to celebrate Amtrak's $11.5M investment

Community members, city and state leaders, and Amtrak officials gathered Thursday in the Great Room of the Burlington Depot to celebrate an $11.5 million investment in exterior improvements to the historic building.

Amtrak's investment will result in the construction of two 700-foot-long boarding platforms with rehabilitated canopies, new signage, mobile lift enclosures, LED lighting and guardrails, as well as accessible pathways that will connect the existing station building to the platform.

"This project represents another milestone in the multi-year effort that Amtrak is undertaking to make 500-plus of our passenger stations around our 21,000-mile network accessible to all of our customers," Derrick James, director of government affairs for Amtrak out of Chicago Union Station, told the crowd, explaining Amtrak has invested $489 million in projects at almost 200 stations over the past 11 years.

The canopies and platform, James explained, will be higher than the existing ones to accommodate the rise in tracks due to flooding, and a new drainage system will keep water from pooling on the platforms and tracks.

The improvements will be made over two years, done in stages to prevent disruptions to passengers.

"It will be a really shiny sort of appendage to this depot," James said.

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa, representing Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, has said she and her husband were drawn to Iowa both by the national balloon championships once held in Indianola and the transportation opportunities provided by the presence of Amtrak.

"This is really an exciting project, so for those of us who live in southeast Iowa and who have taken the rail," she said, explaining her son has used the train on numerous occasions to travel from Chicago to Iowa. "It's really joyful to be here to see what's happening. Burlington is a great community. It's a fabulous community along the river. We want to see the revitalization of our river towns."

James noted that ridership is returning to pre-pandemic levels, which likely will mean increased activity at Burlington Station.

"You're going to be seeing longer trains. We're trying to expand the network, so we don't know what we've got in store for Burlington yet, but know that the train service here is going to improve," he said.

Friends of the Burlington Depot recognized for restoration efforts

James and Burlington Mayor Jon Billups commended the work of the now-defunct Friends of the Depot group whose efforts resulted in about $760,000 worth of improvements to the building, including a new roof, windows, curtains and air conditioning since the city took ownership of the Depot via eminent domain in the mid-1990s.

"It was really great to run into some old friends from Friends of the Depot who I had worked with years ago when I first started at Amtrak to do some spruce-up back when we were more broke than we are now," James said. "Now, we've got a little bit more money, so we're starting to invest it."

Several former members of the group that disbanded about two years ago were present for the groundbreaking ceremony.

"We went as far as our money would go," former Friends chairman Don Traman said, adding that he is glad to see such a large investment in the property that the group had worked so many years to restore to its former glory.

"It will make Burlington look more welcoming," said Diane Sweeden, who served as somewhat of a historian for Friends of the Depot. "This is a good move. This will make people recognize Burlington."

Jeff Heland, who served as mayor in 1994, recalled when the city took over ownership of the building, largely thanks to then-city manager Jane Wood.

"Jane Wood slapped the locks on the doors and said, 'This is ours. You can't have it,'" Heland recalled.

The building at 300 S. Main St. was constructed by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1944. In 1970, the CB&Q Railroad became part of Burlington Northern, which in 1995 merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to create the current BNSF railroad.

The station had fallen into disrepair, especially after the flood of 1993, at which point the railroad moved its employees out of the second floor of the Depot and into another building.

"The writing was on the wall," Heland said. "The railroad wasn't maintaining the building."

So the city, with help from Wood and former county attorney Pat Jackson, went through the process of acquiring the property from BN through eminent domain. That effort was successful, and Friends of the Depot formed soon after. Jackson, a railroad enthusiast, became the group's first chairman.

"It is truly safe to say that through their leadership, they saved this facility," Billups said. "The city is excited to see these improvements to the Depot, and I sincerely hope that they springboard into other improvement opportunities for this beautiful facility."

Potential for future restoration remains in former Depot office space

The paint is peeling on the walls of the first and second stories of the Depot's south end and the dust hangs thick in the air, but the long-unused building is not without potential.

Touring the area of the building after the groundbreaking ceremony, city leaders discussed potential uses for the space.

"At one time, there was discussion about moving City Hall here," Billups said.

City Manager Chad Bird said he has seen interest in the building, particularly in the renovated cafe area, but in recent years there has been more discussion on what could be done with the office area.

"There's been a little bit more interest lately in what could happen up here, even from the (Greater Burlington) Partnership and the Chamber folks, to just individuals," Bird said.

Nick MacGregor, assistant city manager to public works, said the space could be used as a "business incubator."

"You could lease out certain segments and let the rest of it be kind of a startup business, provide computers and internet, stuff like that," MacGregor said.

The interior of the building remained quiet even as a train pulled up, its horn quiet after passing the train bridge and entering Burlington's quiet zone.

Michaele Niehaus covers business, development, environment and agriculture for The Hawk Eye. She can be reached at mniehaus@thehawkeye.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Amtrak spends $11.5M on Burlington Depot exterior. Here's what's next