Ready for repairs

By Staff
City lands $60,000 grant for depot
Leada DeVaney, Hartselle Enquirer
One of Hartselle's best known landmarks will be getting a much-needed facelift thanks to a federal transportation grant.
Hartselle Depot, now home to the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce, is receiving a $60,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation. The grant funds are part of a federal program designed to improve and preserve transportation-related sites throughout the United States.
"We thought we had a good chance (to receive the grant)," Mayor Clif Knight said.
"We tried last year but didn't make the cut. With the $60,000 grant we will be able to do more to make this public facility more usable and attractive."
The turn-of-the century depot, which is available for rent for public functions, hasn't had major repairs done since the 1970s.
The city has put depot repairs in its capital improvement plan passed last year, but didn't have the money to proceed with the work.
That's all changed, now.
The city plans numerous repairs at the depot, with the most major being roof repairs and replacing the existing patio. Those two projects will cost more than $38,000. The other work will include ceiling and wall repairs; new cabinets and countertops in the kitchen area; repairing window shutters; replacing broken windowpanes; replacing door thresholds and hardware; and painting the interior ceilings and walls.
The money will also be used to install period bathroom fixtures; clean and paint the outside trim; repair the gutters and downspouts; and seal the basement walls and replace the sump pump.
The total cost of the project is expected to be some $75,000, with the city providing the $15,000 difference from its general fund.