The Martinez City Council on Tuesday night gave the go-ahead to start the process of making the old train depot into a museum.
The city will begin negotiating with the Martinez Historical Society to enter a lease agreement for the property, at 601 Marina Vista Avenue. The city obtained control of the building in 2001 – when the new Amtrak station opened nearby – and has since used it for storage, also allowing Alhambra High School and other local non-profit groups to use it for the same purpose.
The original depot was built in 1877. Various uses have been discussed over the past two decades, including a restaurant and a ticket office for train tours. The building needs massive renovations.
The historical society is asking for a lease agreement in order to start a fundraising campaign. It would use the 5,400-square-foot building as a nonprofit, regional museum and exhibition center. The lease agreement could also include a provision to house the Joe DiMaggio “Joltin’ Joe” boat display, an idea that historical society has supported in the past.
A city staff report for Wednesday’s council meeting said MHS has approached the city about a lease that would span at least 30 years, which it said would be necessary to properly fund the project. “Nominal” rent and a long-term agreement would make the project more attractive for facility rehabilitation and improvement grant opportunities, the report said.
The report didn’t mention any financial terms. The agreement will expire Dec. 31.
4 comments
woah mtz
train depots are racist
you would think that your self appointed race investigation council would have instructed you on that
you cant abolish volunteers from the community that dont fit your narrative
then self appoint city council members to the race council and then
spend mtz tax money on glorifying slave trains ….
or are you being dem hypocrites again and lying and stealing to suit again your own dem political needs
here comes the rioters ….eerrr sorry dem protestors to show you how to be good race hypocrites
wow seems a foul and rancid ideals coming from mtz and its not the refineries
It is nice to see they want to keep this building. Martinez is one of only a few cities left in Contra Costa where there are quite a few sites that bring you back over 100 years. A museum would be nice.
Seems to me that Martinez should spend a little more on infrastructures, such as the louse road and horrible sidewalks.
But then again, the Council can only do what it’s told to do by their betters while getting very well paid for their deceit.
Hopefully the Vic Stewarts passenger car will be moved there. I’m thinking on the side opposite the Railroad tracks.
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