Norfolk Southern (NS) has completed exterior renovations to the historic train depot near the corner of N. Market and Taggart Streets and has officially donated the building to the Village of East Palestine for reuse as the community sees fit.
The depot was built in 1905 and is approximately 2,400 square feet featuring a large open space accessed by wide sliding wooden doors on both sides of the building making it ideal for reuse as an open market. The building currently has no operating electric service, plumbing, or HVAC but NS will provide a $100,000 grant toward interior renovations determined by the village. NS agreed to donate the depot as one of its steps to “make things right” in East Palestine after the derailment.
“The old depot has been beautifully restored on the outside and is right in the middle of town in a very visible location,” according to Mayor Trent Conaway. “The inside is a blank slate, but with the grant provided by NS, it has a lot of potential to be customized to fit different retail or unique food and beverage purposes.”
The goal of the village is to repurpose the building for the highest benefit of the community, which could include leasing the building to one or more small businesses. No internal renovations will be completed until the perfect tenant or tenants are found for the building.
Stay tuned to the website and this newsletter for more information about upcoming discussions and Request for Proposals (RFP) for businesses or organizations seeking to use the space.