THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, February 23, 1997             TAG: 9702230175
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY KATRICE FRANKLIN, staff writer 
DATELINE: SUFFOLK                           LENGTH:   37 lines

MONEY CHUGS IN TO HELP RESTORE SUFFOLK TRAIN STATION

Suffolk's thriving downtown is long gone.

But local efforts to salvage it have been springing up.

Locals are buzzing with anticipation, as they wait for the completion of the city's $14 million courthouse complex. Housing officials have been bouncing back and forth on whether they should fix up The Professional Building - one of the city's two high-rises that will dwell in the shadow of the courthouse.

Now local preservationists have received good news.

Their fight to renovate one of the nation's oldest train stations is over.

The Suffolk City Council voted this week to use a $240,000 grant for the resurrection of the Seaboard Train Station on North Main Street.

The station, built in 1834, was abandoned years ago. And in 1994, it was nearly gutted in a fire.

The owner, CSX, wanted to demolish it.

But members of the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society and the Downtown Suffolk Association joined forces to create the Save Our Station Committee.

They have raised $30,000; the city is donating another $30,000 to the project.

``This is one of the last steps in the process,'' said Bob Chisom, of the Downtown Suffolk Association.

The station's overhaul should cost about $300,000, Chisom said.

The committee plans to turn the station into a museum and visitors' center.

Chisom said they will begin taking bids for the project this spring.

Construction should begin no later than the summer.

Chisom said they have two years to complete the project, but he doesn't think construction will take longer than 15 months.

``This will be a good opportunity for folks passing through to get a feel of what Suffolk's all about,'' Chisom said.