Ah, that special funding request from the Chamber and LAIC that popped into last night's City Commission agenda? It's for a big new sign out in front of the Depot. That sign is the one thing on the railroad depot renovation proposal that the federal stimulus handouts won't cover.
Of course, I'm still wondering how this stimulus money, distributed by the state Department of Transportation, is being used to fund fixing up a building whose museum function is at best tertiary instead of a more direct transportation use, like paving Madison's gravel streets, a project I'll bet our residents, looking out their monsoon-streaked windows, would love to see done.
Oh well. For $4,000, that new sign had better have a waterfall.
I looked at the grant application. One of the qualifying criteria for funding is renovation of historic transportation buildings. That qualifies the depot for the grant.
ReplyDeleteElisa
I like historic renovation, too... but should I get started on the question of the depot versus the Masonic temple? Cost-benefit analysis: make a functional building more functional, or take a non-functional building and make it functional?
ReplyDeleteAnd there's still those gravel streets. Did we apply for any grant money to pave SE 3rd?