THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601190286
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
After narrowly missing a chance last year for federal funds to remodel a former train station on Main Street, project officials are trying to improve their odds of winning a grant.
They know that coming close doesn't count, whether you're riding the rails and haven't reached your destination or if you're hoping to remodel an old depot and don't have the money.
Last year, the Save Our Station committee and the Downtown Suffolk Association nearly made the cut for a federal grant to remodel the historic, former CSX station on Main Street.
``We were very, very close, probably as close as you can be without being funded,'' said Robert Chisom, executive director of the Downtown Suffolk Association.
Out of 183 applications statewide, Suffolk's project was ranked number 26, he said. Only 20 communities were funded.
This year, they hope to be on track.
They've filled out another application, gotten the City Council and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission to endorse their proposal and packaged up the bundle of letters from citizens who supported the plan.
By Jan. 31, they will take their request to the Commonwealth Transportation Board, hoping this year that the 16-member agency will find favor in their project.
``Until then, we will be updating costs and getting new letters of endorsement from our legislators and city officials,'' Chisom said.
They're vying for a federal grant through the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. Last year, they asked for about $400,000. This year, they hope to ask for less.
``We hope to scale the costs back some because we hope to be more competitive,'' Chisom said.
First, they need to get inside the building, which is boarded up. His office has been trying to get access to the building to do a more thorough investigation to make more accurate renovation estimates, he said.
Sale of the property is expected to be completed by the end of the month, Chisom said. The Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society Property Company, which was formed recently to keep the real estate division separate, will hold the title.
``By owning the property, we will be able to get in and clean it up and do basic renovations at our expense and be ahead of the game,'' Chisom said.
The SOS committee and the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society have already started raising funds.
``That will help our credibility quite a lot,'' Chisom said.
The depot, which stands near the northern entrance into downtown Suffolk, could become a museum and visitor center, Chisom said. And the facility could also include space for the offices of the Suffolk division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, he said.
If the grant is received, the locality would have to match at least 20 percent of the funds.
Project organizers will have to wait until nearly the end of June before the winners are notified, Chisom said. They just hope the word - or words - they hear will be, ``All aboard.'' by CNB