Oneonta residents pitch historic building as transit hub
Aug. 15—Oneonta community members presented a proposal to transform the site of the historic train station on Market Street, formerly Stella Luna Ristorante, into a transit hub as part of the city's Market Street revitalization project.
Stella Luna closed four years ago, in Aug. 2019, after nearly 20 years. The .41-acre property at 58-60 Market Street and 8,000-square-foot, 131-year-old commercial building is being listed for $1.2 million.
A group of residents petitioned onto the city Common Council agenda Tuesday, Aug. 15. About 30 members of the public attended the meeting, though only three spoke on turning the historic building into a transit hub.
The plan to bring a transit hub to Market Street is part of streetscape update plan. Representatives from consulting firm Wendel Companies presented a conceptual plan to the council June 15 that included replacing the shuttered municipal parking garage and creating a transit hub at an estimated price tag of $30 million.
Within that estimate is $8.1 million for a two-story new transit hub facility and bus bays.
Resident Paul Conway, in favor of renovating Stella Luna into a transit hub, said that if the city purchased the property it could generate revenue through a subleasing process, however whether the historic building could be the center of a transit hub "is something really depending on the adjoining property."
"I don't really know of any particular way that Stella Luna could be used in the future," Conway said, "but I really hope that the city tries its hardest ... to figure it out."
To the southwest of the historic building property are three vacant commercial parcels totaling 1.44 acres owned by H.E.G. Properties, according to county property records. On the other side of the undeveloped land is the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center.
Resident David Hutchison said that the fact that the adjoining land isn't in play "really is a problem."
Mayor Mark Drnek distributed a flyer at the meeting describing his concerns if the historic train station location were to be considered for a transit hub.
On the flyer, Drnek stated that the location would be less convenient than what the city has now, since it is farthest from the center of downtown and is worst for ADA accessibility.
There's inadequate bus parking without relocating Market Street, which would require property acquisition from The Marx and NBT bank.
Bus parking in front would block the view of the historic building, especially is canopies were to be installed.
The city's purchase of the property would remove it from the tax rolls and, if Market Street is relocated, reduce the area of two other taxable parcels, The Marx and NBT bank.
He also objected to the $1.2 million price.
"[At] the least you'd be dealing with some infrastructure issues," Drnek said during the meeting, "and in terms of pedestrian friendliness, which I think we all want from Market Street and have it become a place that is engaging and a nice counterpoint to the shopping district of Main Street ... the back ends of buses is kind of a counterintuitive notion."
