Texas Transit Association

The 1905 Cotton Belt Depot will have its Grand Opening on July 22.

CITY’S OPEN HOUSE TO SHOW OFF
RENOVATED COTTON BELT DEPOT
By: LAURA JETT KRANTZ, Staff Writer July 19, 2003

Almost a century after its construction, Tyler’s Cotton Belt Depot is ready to welcome visitors through its doors once again.

Years of effort have reclaimed the red brick structure from its dilapidated, graffiti-ridden state, and a quick tour of the restored building demonstrates what a treasure Tyler has saved, officials said Friday.

Wooden blinds and replica stained-glass transoms filter sunlight into the 16-foot-high rooms of this repurposed building that will serve as offices for the city’s bus service.

For years architects, city officials and historians pored over antique photos and accounts of the depot to arrive at its current design accented by pale yellow walls, natural wainscoting and arched doorways in the former passenger waiting rooms.

Now one of the passenger rooms contains Tyler Transit’s dispatch center, scheduling and financial offices. The other is a training room for staff and drivers.

The freight storage room at the building’s east side features the original freight scale, bare brick walls and aged wood planks. Officials expect to use this part of the depot as a meeting room.

Tyler Transit Director Norman Schenck on Friday pointed to the worn terrazzo floor near the original ticket counter and sloping concrete steps, saying the building’s restoration is a tribute to the depot and those who once used it.

“(Tyler Transit) came from a building with no windows to this. There’s just something about it,” Schenck said. “When people come by and tell you stories - that makes the work environment so comfortable.”

Transit workers have already moved in and don’t mind the regular rumble of freight trains past their office.

“We just love it here,” Schenck said. “We feel like a part of history.”

The Cotton Belt Depot was built in 1905 and began serving passengers on the Cotton Belt line in 1907. Service continued until the mid-1950s. After its use as a depot, the railroad continued to use the structure for offices and storage until it was boarded up in 1987. Southern Pacific Railroad donated the building to the city in September 1988.

The city later procured the land on which the depot sits and went to work on Phase I to prepare a master plan for restoration. Phase II included exterior restoration. Phase III focused on the interior west wing of the depot including repairing damaged wood and plumbing, as well as the addition of new electrical wiring, windows, doors and paint. Phase IV saw restoration of the interior east wing, along with installation of stained glass windows, construction of the parking lot and installation of a wrought iron fence.

The city used federal transportation grants, half-cent sales tax funds and a grant from the Vaughn Foundation to restore the historic building.

To celebrate the project’s completion, a ribbon-cutting and open house is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the 98-year-old depot, 210 E. Oakwood. Officials from the city of Tyler, Tyler Transit, Heart of Tyler/Main Street and the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce will participate in the ceremony. Tyler’s Azalea Belles will serve as hostesses.

In conjunction with the depot opening, Mayor Joey Seeber will proclaim July 22 as Tyler Transit Day and waive bus fares on all four Tyler Transit bus routes Tuesday.

Visitors are also welcome to tour the building during normal business hours.

“We wanted the building to be utilized and we felt it was very appropriate for it to be used by another transportation provider,” City Manager Bob Turner said. “We hope by having Tyler Transit there, the depot will remain an important building in Tyler for many years to come.”