Souderton train station set for makeover
MONTGOMERY COUNTY Train station set for makeover SOUDERTON A revitalization project for the former Souderton train station is moving full steam ahead, thanks to a $200,000 Keystone Communities grant announced by the state Wednesday.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Train station set for makeover
SOUDERTON A revitalization project for the former Souderton train station is moving full steam ahead, thanks to a $200,000 Keystone Communities grant announced by the state Wednesday.
The $1.7 million redevelopment will include preserving the historical aspects of the train station, waiting station, and former freight building. The Borough of Souderton is leasing those buildings and adjacent parking lots from SEPTA and will oversee the restoration.
The station, at Broad and Main Streets, is on an active freight line, but no longer takes passenger trains. It has been converted into a restaurant, while the two other buildings sit in "a state of disrepair," said Borough Manager Michael Coll.
The renovation project will also add parking, and enhance street-scaping and other amenities in the hope of attracting new commercial tenants to downtown Souderton.
State Rep. Robert Godshall (R., Montgomery), a lifelong resident of the area, said the project will bring "a historic site back to life."
Coll said the revitalization has been a borough priority for the last decade. The project will be funded through a $1 million state capital assistance grant and a $500,000 federal economic development grant. The $200,000 grant will be used for design and engineering work.
Coll said construction could begin in late 2014. - Jessica Parks