Renovation, destruction, construction

By Jeff Orvis

Last weekend, Belle Plaine commemorated its proud association with the railroad with a celebration. Part of Railroad Days included tours if the city's depot a half block off the main street. The depot has been out of service for several years, but has stood as a proud reminder of the good old days when our town shipped freight and passengers to other parts of the country.

This depot is different than many of those you might have seen. Instead of a one-story structure with a canopy, this is a massive brick building with at least two full floors. It has been owned by several parties since it was abandoned by the railroad. The latest owner has started a bit of a renovation, repairing the roof and doing some tuck pointing, etc.

On Saturday, the building was open to the public. It drew several generations of area residents, including some retired railroad workers. Those folks were rather easy to spot. They were the ones who had a faraway look in their eyes as they remembered other times.

The present owner of the building has kept the grounds well kept as well as the work he has done to slow the deterioration of the building. But one look inside not only indicates what once was, but what might be needed to return the building to a useful purpose. The old phrase “they don't make buildings like they used to” readily comes to mind when you look inside. I'm certainly no expert on building construction, but it is clear that those in charge of the construction of this building built it to withstand decades of passing trains that shake the ground as they pass within 20 feet.

Since I first moved here in 1997, many long time residents have expressed two dreams for improvement in their community: a four-lane Highway 30 north of town and the renovation and development of the depot. The state has the highway in its future plans and many folks around here are still hopeful they will still be driving when it is finally completed. The depot is waiting for someone with deep pockets, as well as a deep appreciation for railroad history and for development to come forward and bring the old building back to life.

Residents of Belle Plaine have already shown they have the spirit and appreciation it takes to bring back old buildings from decay. A street scape project has breathed new life into the town's main street. Before I left here in 2010, there was a move to renovate a long neglected corner storefront. It had been a saloon and various other things over the years, but most recently, it was a haven for pigeons and other creatures and a quick look inside showed dead birds and a disgusting amount of stuff beyond description.

City leaders spent the money to have the place cleaned and the structure made ready for new tenants. Today, it is a beautiful pharmacy.

I was thinking about renovation vs. demolition of buildings as I toured the depot and later when I learned that the Atlanta Braves are planning on leaving Turner Field for a new stadium in the suburbs. The Braves have played at Turner field for a grand total of less than 20 years. Now the owners think they need to move.

When I was growing up, my dad was a Minnesota Twins fan. We had friends who lived near the Twin Cities, so I got to see several Twins games. Some of them were at the Metropolitan Stadium, an outdoor stadium with plenty of parking that was then in the suburbs. That stadium is gone and the Mall of America is on that location. A few years ago we saw a couple of games in the Metrodome. It was right in the middle of downtown Minneapolis, but it had easy access and close parking. We sat in the upper reaches of the stadium for one game and the steps leading to our seats would have been better reached with the help of mountain climbing gear. We saw another game from the left field lower level seats, which were surprisingly good seats.

Now the Metrodome property is a vacant lot. The Twins moved to Target Field, an outdoor stadium, a few years ago and the NFL Vikings moved to the University of Minnesota's field until their new stadium is completed. Both of these new venues are outdoor stadiums. I pride myself in being a big pro sports fan. But if I lived in Minnesota and could afford season tickets, I would be a big perturbed that I might have to sit outside in late November to watch the Vikings or early April for a Twins game when just a couple of years ago, I could have seen them in comfort.

Other cities have seen their pro sports teams move. St. Louis had a wonderful stadium downtown and in the last 10 years it has been replaced with another right next door. Yankee Stadium was also abandoned for a sparkling new structure, complete with heart-stopping admission prices.

I guess that's why I applaud the Ricketts family in their goal of saving and improving Wrigley Field in Chicago. Sure they've had their share of scrapes with the city and some of their neighbors. But they realize that a big part of Cub history is Wrigley field and they seem intent on preserving it.

I am certainly not against improvement. I like the smell and look of a new place as much as the next guy. But in many cases, you don't have to knock down something old to replace it. Owners of downtown properties in Belle Plaine realize that. The people who have the final say in where their pro sports teams will play might take a lesson from our store owners.

And maybe one of those owners who save money by not building a new stadium will be railroad buffs, drive through our town and decide to leave a little money...