By November 1, 2007, notices requesting proposals for architectural and engineering services were mailed to A & E professionals in Virginia and nearby commercial areas. On November 4, 2007, advertisements ran in the Roanoke Times, Richmond Times Dispatch and Charlotte Observer requesting proposals for architectural and engineering services. Proposals were due December 7, 2007, at 3:00 pm. A bidder’s conference was held on November 20, 2007. Interviews will be held in early January 2008. A contract for architectural and engineering services should be entered by January 15, 2008.
Press Release, November 9, 2007
Funding announced for Virginian Railway station restoration
Federal and state grants of more than a half-million dollars will make possible the start of a two-year project to restore and renovate the former Virginian Railway passenger station, badly damaged by a fire in January 2001.
A committee of the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation has worked for six years to seek funding and a future use for the century-old structure listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The total cost of the project is $2.3 million, according to Alison Blanton, committee chair and an architectural historian.
The station at Williamson Road and South Jefferson Street, built in 1909, was donated to the Chapter by Norfolk Southern Corp. in 2005. The renovation partners have issued a request for proposals for architectural and engineering services. A capital campaign is planned to raise the remaining balance of $1.7 million from public contributions and additional grants over two years.
A federal grant of $260,486, obtained by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, will be administered by the Greater Roanoke Transit Co. (Valley Metro). Virginia Department of Transportation grants totaling $267,000 will be administered through the City of Roanoke, according to a resolution approved by Roanoke City Council on Oct. 1.
The renovation partners plan to restore the historic structure for a combination of public and private use. The passenger station building will be leased to an agency or commercial tenant to provide an income stream to cover future building operations and costs, according to Blanton.
A smaller baggage and express building will be used by [as display] the Railway Historical Society to show the public the role of the [old] Virginian Railway in the development of the Roanoke Valley and the railroad industry in Virginia. This probably will be an access point for the Chapter's archives, according to Kenneth Miller, chapter historian. The museum will help promote Roanoke as a National Railway Heritage District and destination for research in railroad history. Also, the restored building will serve as a comfort station on the Mill Mountain Greenway and as a gateway to [for] the Riverside Centre for Research and Technology.
The depot, one of a handful of Virginian buildings remaining, operated until its passenger service ended in January 1956. It was the only brick station built by the Virginian, Miller said. He said the building is significant for its utilitarian design as a railroad station, for its contribution to the rail industry and its facilitation of transport to and from Roanoke. The two buildings have architectural importance with their unique visual characteristics and construction used for only a brief period and only by railroads, Miller said.
Contributions or pledges for the restoration may be sent to the chapter at P.O. Box 13222, Roanoke 24032-3222. Additional information about the campaign is available at the chapter's website.
Other leaders of the restoration committee are James Cosby, treasurer, and Brian Crosier, president, of the Railway Historical Society chapter.and may not be reproduced without express written permission.
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