Commission seeks funds for mini-train depot

By Phil Major
publisher@wood.cm
Posted 10/14/21

Improvements to Iron Horse Square Park in Mineola were presented to the Mineola Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) Thursday.

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Commission seeks funds for mini-train depot

Posted

Improvements to Iron Horse Square Park in Mineola were presented to the Mineola Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) Thursday.

Joyce Williams and Jimmy Phillips with the Landmark Commission showed plans to add a covered loading area for the park’s mini-train and an attached set of restrooms.

Total cost of the projects is estimated at $105,000, with the open air depot costing about half that, at $52,820.

MEDC members indicated they would consider the request at an upcoming meeting.

Phillips said the landmark commission is creating an open space in Mineola to draw people to town to have fun and spend money. The improvements to the park, on the south side of the Union Pacific rail line at Front St., just west of Pacific St. (Hwy. 69), are being done in phases.

There are other things the commission would like to have there, that are not “pie in the sky,” like a pedestrian bridge over the tracks to allow better access to downtown, Phillips said.

The open air cover would allow the mini-train to be parked in the shade and the riders to wait in a covered area.

Restrooms are also a critical need for the park, with access to facilities in the Amtrak train depot limited to operating hours.

“What sustains small communities is heritage tourism,” Williams said. ”That’s what the Landmark Commission is trying to do.”

Also in the works is a documentary based on numerous interviews with former railroad employees, planned for release by 2023 for Mineola’s sesquicentennial.

The commission also has its sights set on an old railroad caboose to be moved onto the site on the old basketball court to serve as a venue for gatherings, which would also be a revenue source for the commission.

MEDC member Joe Williams said it makes fiscal sense to consider the project now, given the ever-rising construction costs.

MEDC Chairman Gordon Tiner suggested moving on the project as soon as possible.

The MEDC welcomed new members Gary McKinley and Kevin White and re-elected Tiner as president with Bob Smith as vice president and Barbara Dawson as secretary.