By CHRISTINA TATU
Originally Posted Feb 26, 2011
Like the trains it once served, the rehabilitation of the historic Dansbury Depot is moving full-steam ahead. Since December, when the fire-damaged train station was relocated to a site on the other side of the tracks, it’s undergone numerous renovations.
Like the trains it once served, the rehabilitation of the historic Dansbury Depot is moving full-steam ahead.
Since December, when the fire-damaged train station was relocated to a site on the other side of the tracks, it’s undergone numerous renovations, including securing the foundation, pouring a concrete floor for a crawl space and removing damaged sections.
Next month, construction workers plan to reframe the fire-damaged sections of the building, said Eastburg Community Alliance Downtown Manager Cheryl Hayne.
Once the work is complete, the 1856 train station-turned-restaurant will get a new start, this time as a museum dedicated to East Stroudsburg and the local railroad. The building also will house a coffee shop and serve as the alliance’s headquarters.
The project is scheduled to be finished by late this year.
The Eastburg Community Alliance, which has been overseeing the rehabilitation, plans to raise $1.2 million over a two-year period, with hopes of raising $800,000 this year for renovations. So far the alliance has met $360,000 of its goal, Hayne said.
“This project is not just about a building. It’s about historic preservation, downtown revitalization, community enhancement, and education enrichment, all of which have an associated cost to administer, but priceless benefits in terms of fostering a better, stronger community,” Hayne said.
Much of the historic station was gutted in an October 2009 fire that broke out in the kitchen. The salvaged station’s interior was preserved through this winter, with the majority of the damage limited to the outside of the building.
Construction workers this week were stripping away sections of the building made vulnerable from fire, water and weather exposure. Once the fire-damaged section is reframed, workers will rebuild the roof. The group hopes to build a memorial park with history and art exhibits for visitors, Hayne said.
Once the museum is open, the alliance will sell memberships to sustain the building and pay for utilities, Hayne said.
Local developer Troy Nauman, who had purchased the burned-out depot, is building a three-story apartment building and restaurant on the train station’s former site.
Nauman said the apartments are nearly ready to be leased out, and he anticipates completing the entire building in a couple months. He said was unsure what type of restaurant will be on the site.