Rail rebound?: Developers remain optimistic about the Downeaster expansion despite a funding flux
Photo/David A. Rodgers
J. Hilary Rockett of Massachusetts-based JHR Development, the developer behind Maine Street Station in Brunswick, says he's confident the Downeaster will be extended to the town
Correction: The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority is still in the running for a $35 million loan from the Federal Rail Administration, and is also pursuing a grant for the same amount.
News about the Amtrak Downeaster, the passenger train that runs from Boston to Portland, has been good and bad as of late. The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, the organization that operates the Downeaster, recently lost its bid for a $35 million loan from the Federal Rail Administration to fund track improvements between Portland and Brunswick to extend the Downeaster. And in a funding one-two punch, the recent 2010-2011 biennial budget passed by the state and signed by Gov. John Baldacci failed to include the 20% of the train’s $7.5 million operating subsidy the state has customarily footed.
Amid the funding uncertainty, however, shines a ray of hope. NNEPRA plans to apply for $35 million to fund the Downeaster extension, capitalizing on President Obama’s announcement in April of $8 billion in federal stimulus money earmarked for improving rail service nationwide. The Obama administration named the stretch of rail from Boston to Portland as one of 10 nationally eligible for
funding, and those involved in efforts to bring the train to Brunswick say the project stands a good chance of netting some of that money. “I would speculate that the portion of rail that would be improved from Portland to Brunswick is as close to shovel-ready as needed for federal money than other projects competing for it,” says David Markovchick, Brunswick director of economic and community development.
The prospect of federal money is good news for the town, where a $24 million development hinges on extension of the passenger rail. Maine Street Station, a mixed-use, 106,000-square-foot development in the heart of downtown, is already under construction and slated to be complete by the end of the summer. Until the Downeaster makes it to Brunswick, the train station will function as a visitors’ center for travelers arriving by other means, says J. Hilary Rockett of Massachusetts-based JHR Development. Despite the obstacles, Rockett expects the passenger train will one day reach Maine Street Station. “We’re hopeful and confident it will happen. From everything we’ve seen so far, and the different people we’ve talked to, it looks like it’s moving forward.”
Moving forward
The Downeaster’s funding troubles are nothing new, but this year they could come to a head. Not only did the state opt out of its $1.5 million contribution, a $6 million federal subsidy from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program that has funded the Downeaster since its inception in 2001 is slated to expire Sept. 30. Together, those funds make up over half of the train’s annual $13.5 million operating budget (the rest comes from ticket sales). Efforts are under way to make that subsidy a permanent source of funding, and the state is also looking for ways to make up its portion of the train’s operating funds, according to Baldacci’s deputy chief of staff, David Farmer.
The state is emphasizing its support for extending the Downeaster to Brunswick in two years, despite funding challenges and the governor’s absence at a June 2 meeting in Washington, D.C., where Obama met with governors and other state representatives to talk about his recently announced funding for rail improvement. Asked why Baldacci didn’t attend and why someone else wasn’t sent in his place, Farmer bristled. “When we were first invited, it was a governors’ only event,” he says. “It was at the end of the legislative session, and we were dealing with everything from the budget to tax reform. It was not a good time for the governor to be out.” Baldacci “has spoken directly with Joe Biden at least twice directly on the importance of the Downeaster in Maine and New England,” Farmer added, saying Maine’s lack of representation at the meeting in no way compromises the state’s ability to seek federal funding.
Applications for the stimulus funding are due in August, with the first round of grants to be awarded by late summer. “We will make this happen in some way, whether it’s through stimulus funds or other avenues. This is something the governor is committed to,” Farmer says.
Those in Brunswick banking on the Downeaster’s arrival seem convinced of that commitment. On June 19, representatives from the town and Bowdoin College met with Baldacci to discuss the Maine Street Station project, where two buildings that will house the station, two restaurants, and a bookstore and dance studio for the college are under construction and slated to be complete by Aug. 30, according to Rockett. The prospect of train service continues to be a big draw for businesses choosing to locate there, he says. “It’s a crucial part of the project, and I’m assuming it is coming,” he says of the train.
The town of Brunswick has committed $3 million to the project, and has agreed to lease the train station building to house new town council chambers. Even if the extension fails to win federal stimulus money, “it doesn’t end our aspirations to get [train] service,” says Markovchick. “Ultimately, that is going to happen.”
Bowdoin College has invested up to $8 million in the Maine Street Station project, and is also convinced the train will make it to town. “We wouldn’t have invested as many dollars in the project if we didn’t think it would happen in the near future,” says William Torrey, a senior vice president at the college.
Brunswick isn’t the only town itching for rail service. Freeport has been exploring a train station for its downtown since last September, says Sande Updegraph, executive director of the Freeport Economic Development Corp. The town has found a developer interested in building the train station, but without the firm prospect of the Downeaster extension, those plans are on hold. “Not having [the train] at all is a very remote possibility,” she says.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments