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Friends of Gladstone Depot seek county funding as restoration costs climb
Summary
Friends of Gladstone Depot asked the board to consider funding for moving and restoring the Gladstone Depot; the group cited prior grant activity, a turnkey estimate, and possible use of solar project funds while supervisors urged phased planning and more cost detail.
Friends of Gladstone Depot told the Nelson County Board of Supervisors the long‑running effort to move and restore the Gladstone Depot requires significant funding and asked the board to consider allocating county money beginning in fiscal 2027.
Joanne Absher, president of Friends of Gladstone Depot, said the organization negotiated with CSX, VDOT and county staff to preserve the depot and that the project timeline stretches back to the 1980s. She presented a turnkey restoration estimate described in the meeting packet as $3,200,000 and said the organization can do phased work but needs to know whether the county will provide funding and, if so, how much.
Absher reviewed past funding and grants. She said the organization previously received a BTAP award for earlier phases but the Federal Highway Administration later determined most of that work was ineligible under the grant terms and the grant had to be canceled or repurposed. She asked whether any portion of revenue from the county’s solar siting agreement funds could be reserved for the depot project.
County staff and supervisors discussed the project’s priorities and phasing. Staff said the most costly and immediate step is the foundation work and raising the building (the presentation identified a required elevation of roughly five to seven feet before the restored structure would sit on the new foundation). Absher said foundation work is the most expensive component and that she would provide detailed phase‑cost breakdowns if the board requested them.
Several supervisors said they support the project in concept but cautioned county resources are already committed to other capital projects; they urged detailed phase estimates, additional grant pursuit, and a small team of staff and community volunteers to pursue funding and logistics. One supervisor said some solar project payments are expected in early 2027 and that the county had already received an earlier payment held in reserve for allocation decisions; staff cautioned those site‑agreement funds are contingent on project milestones and not guaranteed by the county.
Board members asked the Friends group to provide cost estimates for discrete phases (foundation, move, restoration) and to work with county staff and relevant departments on potential grant applications and logistics. Absher said she would return with phased cost documentation and pursue available grants.
