(rshsdepot) Meridan, MS

["Bernie Wagenblast" <brwagenblast_@_home.com>]

A photo of the station can be seen in the online version of the story at:
http://www.annistonstar.com/news/2001/as-anniston-1126-nsolheim-1k25x5219.ht
m

New twist, old idea
By Nathan Solheim
Star Staff Writer
11-26-2001

The Anniston Star
MERIDIAN, Miss.

The Terminal Hotel used to be a crack house in a drug-infested section of
downtown Meridian.

A few years back, local police raided the old domicile's rooms and found
what amounted to a hydroponic marijuana farm inside.

Now the Terminal Hotel houses offices and a few small businesses, including
a shoeshine shop with a 90-year-old shoeshine man, a bead store for hippies
and a quaint restaurant.

The turnaround for the old Terminal Hotel, and much of downtown Meridian, is
credited to what sits across the street, a stunning re-creation and
modernization of Meridian's train station that injected more than $8 million
worth of public funds and grant money into a derelict part of town.

It's called Union Station Multi Modal Transportation Center, and officials
say the structure has been a catalyst for a run-down part of this city.
Downtown Meridian has seen revitalization begin, and much of the credit goes
to Union Station.

Meridian was a pioneer of sorts into the realm of multi-modal transportation
centers and was the first city in the Southeast to complete such a project.

Thanks in part to a number of federal, state and local grants, the city of
Meridian turned an old, run-down wing of the aged train station into a
stately facility that houses five major forms of transit, including Amtrak,
Greyhound buses, taxi companies, rental cars and the local transit
authority.

It was the brainchild of three-term Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith, who
said the facility has had a major impact on his city, especially in downtown
Meridian.

"It is a great public space," Smith said. "It's the most widely used public
space in Meridian."

Smith should know, he was married in the multi-modal transportation center a
day after it opened. Between 250,000 and 300,000 people go through the
center each year, according to estimates provided by the city.

The Union Station Multi-modal Transportation Center offers residents of
Meridian a number of services, including:

· Access to every major transportation link for the city of Meridian,
including a link to the Meridian airport.

· Conference rooms and offices that can be rented for almost any occasion.
The rooms are booked on a three-year calendar. Tenants include
Norfolk-Southern Railroad and the East Mississippi Regional Development
Commission.

· Plans for a snack counter and newsstand. Restroom facilities are abundant.

· Round-the-clock security on premises. Organizers said the security is one
of the major reasons the transportation center has been a success.

"When you look at the number of people who have been just to the second
floor, it warrants the facility to house the amount of events that come
through here," said Sharon Smith, who manages the train station. "Coupled
with Amtrak and Greyhound and a working multi-modal transportation center,
it's a winner. If you have security and cleanliness, people forget they're
in a train station. People feel comfortable here."

There were many reasons for renovating the station.

Besides being a catalyst for downtown revitalization, there was a glut of
funds to help pay for renovations. Along with the options presented by a
single transportation link, Union Station also has become a signature for
the city of Meridian.

"For me, it was clear that we could have a significant impact on our
downtown by placing our center there in downtown," Smith said. "For
Meridian, it was the right choice."

It wasn't an uncontroversial decision, though. Many Meridian residents
questioned why the city pushed so much money toward a bad section of town.

One person waiting for a train at the transportation center, who didn't want
to be identified, called the station a "white elephant," and questioned
whether it was a good use of his tax dollar.

Smith and others respond to the criticisms by pointing out that property
values have risen steadily in the area because of the influx of money into
the property; new developments have begun, and plans for condominiums,
specialty stores and other developments abound.

"We believed at the time, a public investment done right would spark the
private sector to invest in the area," Smith said. "The multi-modal
transportation center was a catalyst for what's gone on downtown."

The transportation center was a welcome addition to the neighborhood for
many business owners. After seeing the building, businesses started to take
steps to spruce up their looks, thus improving the feel of the area.

For Tony Creel, who owns Southern Sportsman just down the street, the
multi-modal transportation center has had a small effect on his business.

"There's more people fooling around," Creel said as he worked on a compound
bow in anticipation of hunting season. "The first thing is, there's better
lights, better security and better streets."

Alex Weddington, who operates his family's plumbing and heating supply
business downtown, said the multi-modal transportation center has indirectly
helped his business.

"Our business isn't a good bellweather, but it did help the neighborhood,"
he said. "They spent $8 million, which helped downtown property owners."

About Nathan Solheim  Minnesota native Nathan Solheim is a University of
Georgia graduate. He covers the city of Anniston for The Anniston Star.

Contact Nathan Solheim Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
 256-235-9292
256-235-3535
nsolheim_@_annistonstar.com

------------------------------