Big Four Depot for Sale, Long-Term Lease Or Combination for Adaptive Re-Development

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL THE CITY OF GALION IS OFFERING THE HISTORIC BIG FOUR DEPOT FOR SALE, LONG-TERM LEASE OR COMBINATION FOR ADAPTIVE RE-DEVELOPMENT September 1, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. OVERVIEW 04 INTRODUCTION; CITY’S MAJOR GOALS; CITY, SITE, BUILDING SYNOPSIS; CURRENT OWNERSHIP AND USE 2. GALION’S GROWTH TIED TO RAILROAD 04 RAILROAD BROUGHT TO GALION; RAILROAD AS CATALYST FOR INDUSTRY 3. BIG FOUR DEPOT HISTORY 05 CONSTRUCTION TO PRESENT; ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL 4. BUILDING DETAILS 05 STYLE; MAIN BUILDING; ADJACENT BUILDING; PLATFORM CANOPY 5. DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL 06 SPACE TO WORK WITH; GROUND FLOOR: RETAIL, DINING/ENTERTAINMENT, SERVICES, EVENT SPACE, ACCESSORY USES; MUSEUM; TRANSPORTATION; FARMER’S MARKET, LAWN EVENTS; SECOND FLOOR: OFFICES, CONFERENCE; ATTIC: VARIOUS USES, MECHANICAL; CASE STUDY: Dennison Railroad Depot Museum; CASE STUDY: Berea Union Depot Taverne; CASE STUDY: Big Four Arts Depot 6. ZONING 08 UPTOWNE DISTRICT 7. DESIGN REVIEW 08 DESIGN REVIEW DISTRICT #1 8. COMMERCIAL BUILDING PLAN REVIEW 08 REFERENCED CODES 9. PRESERVATION BASED FINANCIAL INCENTIVES 08 OHIO HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX CREDIT; FEDERAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX INCENTIVES PROGRAM; TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM (TAP); CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM (CLG); FINANCE FUND; CULTURAL FACILITIES GRANT PROGRAM; JOHANNA FAVROT FUND FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION; THE CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL FUND FOR HISTORIC INTERIORS; JEFFRIS HEARTLAND FUND 10. NON-PRESERVATION BASEd FINANCIAL INCENTIVES 13 OHIO NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS PROGRAM; COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAM; EFFICIENCY SMART; GROW NOW; RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANTS PROGRAM (RBEG); EGBERT M. FREESE FOUNDATION 11. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS 15 SITE VISIT, QUESTIONS REGARDING RFP, REQUIREMENTS 12. SELECTION CRITERIA 16 DEVELOPER DUE DILIGENCE; PROPOSAL EVALUATION, GRADING CHART 13. TIMELINE / submission procedure 18 TIMELINE; NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUBMIT PROPOSAL; SUBMISSION PROCEDURE 2 APPENDIX A: PICTURES 19 APPENDIX B: MAPS 22 APPENDIX C: DRAWINGS 24 APPENDIX D: SELECTED EXCERPTS FROM 27 THE GALION PLANNING AND ZONING CODE APPENDIX E: SELECTED EXCERPTS FROM 31 THE GALION DESIGN REVIEW CODE 3 1. OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION The City of Galion, Ohio is requesting proposals from interested and qualified developers to purchase, long-term lease or combination and adaptively re-develop the Big Four Depot, a former train depot which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. CITY’S MAJOR GOALS The City of Galion’s goals are that the re-development will enhance the character of the Uptowne and surrounding neighborhoods. Further, that proposals be economically viable and demonstrate an ability to generate activity that will benefit the Galion community. The development must be of high-quality, represent a stable use and be consistent with Galion’s Zoning Code and Design Review Code. The project should adhere to heightened standards of historic preservation and sensitive renovation. Space dedicated to Galion’s railroad heritage should be incorporated. Finally, the developer should have the capacity to undertake the re-development within a reasonable amount of time. CITY, SITE, BUILDING SYNOPSIS Galion has a population of approximately 10,500 and is located in north central Ohio; about 55 miles north of Columbus and 12 miles west of Mansfield. The Big Four Depot sits on approximately 1 acre of land situated along North Washington Street in Uptowne Galion. The main building (completed in 1900), and an accompanying 1-story building formerly used as a baggage claim building (completed around 1920), offer approximately 8,204 square feet of interior space. The site is bounded to the east by railroad tracks and the north by an overpass crossing the railroad. The old American Steel Grave Vault Building, a former industrial building, is located on the north side of the overpass in close proximity to the Depot. Though not a part of this RFP, the two properties in tandem offer intriguing possibilities for reuse. CURRENT OWNERSHIP AND USE The last railroad offices at the Big Four Depot were closed in 1969 and the Big Four Depot was vacated not too long after. The property has had several owners since and is now owned by the City of Galion. Over the years, a number of different retail establishments have occupied the building, though it is currently vacant. 2. GALION’S GROWTH TIED TO RAILROAD RAILROAD BROUGHT TO GALION The first non-Native American settlers built homes in what is now Galion in 1817. Not too long after, a stagecoach route ran through the area. A man named Asa Hosford settled here in 1919 and would later become a state legislator. In that capacity, he successfully lobbied to get the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad to pass through Galion in 1851. The Galion to Bellefontaine Railroad would follow soon after in 1853. 4 RAILROAD AS CATALYST FOR INDUSTRY Thanks is great part to the connectivity the railroad created, strong institutions in manufacturing and communications would be developed. Galion become well-known for the manufacture of buggies, road rollers, graders, snow plows, dump truck bodies, farm equipment, telephone equipment, grave vaults, split shaft power takeoffs, spreaders and hydraulic cylinders. 3. BIG FOUR DEPOT HISTORY CONSTRUCTION TO PRESENT The Big Four Depot was completed in 1900 and became the division headquarters for the Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the ‘Big Four’. The Galion headquarters housed the engineering corps, the division superintendent, the trainmaster, stenographers and clerks. All trains stopped in Galion to change crews. Peak passenger usage occurred during and soon following World War I, when approximately 32 trains, including mail trains, stopped each day. The New York Central Railroad acquired the Big Four Railroad in 1929, and the division headquarters was moved to Bellefontaine, Ohio. The ticket office remained open until 1964 and in 1969 all railroad offices were closed. The Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The City of Galion, through the Freese Foundation, a local charitable organization, purchased the Big Four Depot in 2000 and remains in ownership. ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Since Galion was a stop for all trains on the line, Galion became a “whistle stop” for campaigning presidential candidates. Among those who made train platform speeches to Galionites were Al Smith in 1928, Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, and both Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon in 1952. 4. BUILDING DETAILS STYLE Architecturally, the Big Four Depot is a hybrid of styles; perhaps most aptly described as Queen Anne. As division headquarters, the building was larger and more elaborate than most small town stations. As such, it survives as a remarkable example of railroad architecture from the turn of the 20th century. MAIN BUILDING The main part of the building is 2.5 stories and covers about 2,825 square feet at the ground level. The exterior at this level is constructed in roughly finished sandstone. Window and door archways are fashioned in smooth-faced sandstone. The second level is enveloped by altering types of wood siding. The lowest band is a beveled siding, lap siding next, followed by shingle siding and finally lap siding again. The roof consists of a series of hipped roofs interrupted by three triangular dormers and one hipped dormer; all covered in asphalt shingles. The northeast wing is 1.5 stories and was initially used as a baggage and mail room. The projecting eaves are supported by ornamented wooden brackets, a detail that is repeated around the main building where the second floor extends past the first. 5 ADJACENT BUILDING A detached 1-story building, initially used for baggage claim, is located about 25 feet past the northeast wing. This building dates to around 1920. PLATFORM CANOPY A 15 foot wide canopy adjoins the building along the track side and extends about 115 feet beyond to the northeast. Originally, the canopy extended about 200 feet beyond the building to the southwest as well. The canopy is supported by round cast iron columns. 5. DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL SPACE TO WORK WITH The ground floor of the main building contains approximately 2,825 square feet in addition to around 1,356 square feet in the adjacent former baggage claim building. Overall, that totals approximately 4,181 square feet of ground floor area. The second floor covers approximately 2,608 square feet and the attic offers another approximately 1,415 square feet. A small basement encompasses about 756 square feet. A canopy structure runs the length of the two buildings next to the railroad tracks. Lawn, some trees and parking areas sit to the west and south of the buildings. Everything is contained on about 1 acre. GROUND FLOOR: RETAIL, DINING/ENTERTAINMENT, SERVICES, EVENT SPACE, ACCESSORY USES At ground level, the main building and the former baggage claim building could offer leasable space for some combination of small shops, a restaurant, a café, an ice cream parlor, a bakery, a deli, a brewery, a winery, a barber shop or a salon. Space might also be allocated for public gatherings, family reunions, weddings, banquets and/or civic meetings. An information kiosk and places for the display of art and/or historical displays could encompass the public areas. MUSEUM Dedicated museum space, especially pertaining to local railroad history, could be dedicated. Historical displays reflecting local industry might also find a place (association with nearby American Steel Grave Vault Building, perhaps - mentioned under “1. OVERVIEW”). Harding Way (running east and west just south of the property), was once part of the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental automobile highway in the United States. I do not believe Ohio possesses a museum devoted to the Lincoln Highway, and the Big Four Depot’s location and architecture might be an appealing site for such a project. TRANSPORTATION Transportation facilities tend to create customer demand for retail goods and services. This is particularly true of intermodal facilities, where transfer from one means of conveyance to another occurs and waiting time might be involved.

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