URS Corp. donates $300K to Friends of Aiken Railroad Depot 12/19/2009 12:53 AM
By RACHEL JOHNSON Staff writer
Nearing the completion of Phase 1, the Aiken Railroad Depot received a major gift for its $3 million project set to open in spring 2010.
As carpenters are busily applying the final touches on the building located on Union Street in downtown Aiken, the Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot happily accepted a $100,000 donation for the URS Corp. on Friday. The depot is nearing the home stretch after 10 years of planning and 10 months of construction.
Standing inside the depot protected from the rain, Dave Pethick, president of the Energy and Environment Business Group of URS Corp., presented a check to Tim Simmons, chairman of the All Aboard fundraising committee.
"URS is proud to be a part of this public/private partnership that continues several traditions in Aiken," said Pethick. "It was a public/private partnership that built our corporate headquarters and the Washington Center for the Performing Arts on Newberry Street. This project memorializes the building of the railroad 175 years ago, which resulted in the founding of our great city of Aiken. We are proud to be a part of the Aiken community and look forward to the opening of the Railroad Depot."
The donation was the third installment of a $300,000 pledge made by the URS in 2007. The depot is slated to be finished by late February or early March with the committee turning it over to the City of Aiken to be used as a visitor's center and Tourism Department headquarters in mid-May.
Simmons said this donation shows the ongoing support of the private sector in rebuilding what was a major Aiken landmark in the first half of the 20th century. He and Wade Brodie, chairman of the Aiken Corp., which supports the depot committee, said that individual and corporate pledges are coming in on time even in these difficult recessionary times.
Fundraising will continue for future phases after the depot opens. Plans for the project include a baggage building that will function as a caterer's kitchen and restoration of the two dining cars and caboose that are now being stabilized against the elements on the site. The adjacent Gyles Park will become the site of concerts and festivals in a later stage of development.
Contact Rachel Johnson at rjohnson@aikenstandard.com.
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Posted by: ELMER PYWICKET On: Saturday, December 19, 2009 10:16 PM
Comment Title: THE RACKET CONTINUES
Of course the next step is to put Aiken city taxpayers on the hook for a big loan for this white elephant. Visitors center -- get real! There is already a very fine visitors center on Laurens Street which attracts a few visitors. When it moves to the white elephant, there will be more empty space in the recently restored Holly Building, where it is currently located -- which will soon be empty since shops have either closed, or are being closed, or have moved. The restored Holly Building has only been open a year or so, and soon it will be deserted. Great move -- oh wise ones of the Aiken aristocracy. Where are the right-wing-nut anti-government reactionaries when you need them? Oh, that's right, they only object to government spending when is not applied to their pet projects.
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