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Renovating the Old Oakland Central (16th Street) Amtrak Station???
Author: Coleman Randall, Jr
Date: 11-10-2011 - 07:41
I have noticed that the Old Oakland Central (16th Street) Amtrak Station could be renovated into the following:
A museum and community event center with the following amenities and features:
A display on the upper Interurban line portion with restored Interurban Rolling Stock on display there with a safely glassed or fenced in area. This area could be used as a fancy restaurant location like the site of an Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant or like the now defunct Victoria Station Chain of restaurants,
The large ground floor waiting room area could be used as a special events room for holding special events like conferences.
The baggage ares could be used as a part of the museum with displays as well, especially related to baggage and railway post office history.
A short distance of tracks ending on the south side of the building could be laid in the western front of this building to put some rolling stock display pieces on with access from the immediate industrial lead tracks on the north side of the station to deliver such rolling stock from the main line.
Also, the Old Semaphore post could be placed were it once originally stood as a museum piece.
Also, the industrial lead track off to the north side could serve as a station stop for special passenger train movements with an awning and benches.
Railroad related memorabilia could be displayed throughout the station.
A gift shop and a snack bar alongside the big central portion of the station.
The parking lot area re-paved and landscaped on the periphery.
Unfortunately, this fine Old Railroad Station just sits there at the intersection of 16th and Wood Streets in West Oakland as a piece of junk and run down with graffiti from the low lifes that have vandalized the place over the years. Of course such a renovation effort would otherwise seem like a pipe dream but with the recent urban renewal projects in that same area like the Condos two blocks to the south and that well maintained Ball Park two blocks to the north perhaps such a project could become a reality in the future. Old railroad stations have been revitalized in other cities so why not Oakland? Still just a pipe dream? Any ideas?
A museum and community event center with the following amenities and features:
A display on the upper Interurban line portion with restored Interurban Rolling Stock on display there with a safely glassed or fenced in area. This area could be used as a fancy restaurant location like the site of an Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant or like the now defunct Victoria Station Chain of restaurants,
The large ground floor waiting room area could be used as a special events room for holding special events like conferences.
The baggage ares could be used as a part of the museum with displays as well, especially related to baggage and railway post office history.
A short distance of tracks ending on the south side of the building could be laid in the western front of this building to put some rolling stock display pieces on with access from the immediate industrial lead tracks on the north side of the station to deliver such rolling stock from the main line.
Also, the Old Semaphore post could be placed were it once originally stood as a museum piece.
Also, the industrial lead track off to the north side could serve as a station stop for special passenger train movements with an awning and benches.
Railroad related memorabilia could be displayed throughout the station.
A gift shop and a snack bar alongside the big central portion of the station.
The parking lot area re-paved and landscaped on the periphery.
Unfortunately, this fine Old Railroad Station just sits there at the intersection of 16th and Wood Streets in West Oakland as a piece of junk and run down with graffiti from the low lifes that have vandalized the place over the years. Of course such a renovation effort would otherwise seem like a pipe dream but with the recent urban renewal projects in that same area like the Condos two blocks to the south and that well maintained Ball Park two blocks to the north perhaps such a project could become a reality in the future. Old railroad stations have been revitalized in other cities so why not Oakland? Still just a pipe dream? Any ideas?
Renovating the Old Oakland Central (16th Street) Amtrak Station???