Rail depot in northern Iowa to be demolished

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) - A railroad company intends to demolish a historic train depot in northern Iowa.

Canadian Pacific Railway spokesman Andy Cummings told the Mason City Globe Gazette that demolition work on the Milwaukee Road Depot in Mason City will likely start later this month.

According to Cummings, the depot has been vacant since the railway relocated its operations to another structure in 2013. He said the structure, originally built around 1895, can’t be repurposed because it’s next to an active rail yard.

Canadian Pacific has owned the depot since the 1990s when it absorbed one of its adjuncts, the Soo Line Railroad, said Bob Storozuk, president of the Milwaukee Road Historical Association.

The depot acted as a focal point for the town, offering transportation and a location to pick up packages and telegrams, Storozuk said. The historical association would like to see the depot’s unique architecture saved and for the local area to retain that piece of history, he said.

The Mason City, Iowa Historic Preservation posted on Facebook that the organization is “sad” to hear of the news.

The city isn’t sure how much money would be needed to preserve the structure, but the city likely doesn’t have the funds to save it, said Tricia Sandahl, Mason City planning and zoning manager.

“It’s a shame to lose our railroad heritage,” Sandahl said. “To preserve a building, you need to know what to do with it and you need to have some funds.”

Canadian Pacific has a demolition permit filed, she said. Utility companies, including Alliant Energy, must sign off on the permit.

Cummings declined to comment on how much the demolition project will cost.

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Information from: Globe Gazette, http://www.globegazette.com/