BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — For greater than a yr now, native historic preservationists have been making an attempt to assist individuals visualize what the 130-year-old Sumner Prepare Station would possibly in the future appear to be with sufficient cash and energy. That visualization effort simply obtained just a little bit simpler.
Ordiz Melby Architects has put collectively a two-minute video animation that helps the imagination-challenged see what the outdated, however huge, Union Pacific Prepare Depot would possibly appear to be with an infusion of funding and artistic renovation.
Bakersfield Metropolis Councilman Andrae Gonzales, whose 2nd Ward contains Previous City Kern and the practice station so necessary to the town’s growth, has led the cost to protect and restore the landmark. He sees it as the first catalyst of a renaissance of this as soon as thriving part of the town – similar as outdated, renovated practice stations have achieved in blighted sections of different cities — and he has been working the telephone searching for consumers, lessors, and/or occupants – and he’s on a strict timetable. Town has a upkeep lease with Union Pacific that runs till summer season.
Gonzales believes the animation might help persuade the appropriate group of the chances.
“That is actually a necessary piece to Previous City Kern,” Gonzales mentioned. “You possibly can’t demolish probably the most traditionally stunning construction in Previous City Kern after which flip round and say you need to redevelop Previous City Kern. It simply doesn’t work. You possibly can’t sq. these two ideas. You’ve obtained to avoid wasting the Sumner Depot in case you actually have a coronary heart for giving Previous City Kern a preventing probability to develop.”
Gonzales is blissful to relate a tour of the Ordiz-Melby animation.
“It takes you from the east and it flies alongside Sumner Road westbound,” he mentioned, “so that you seize, first, the western portion of the constructing and the southern dealing with half of the Sumner depot. There you will have kind of drive by means of lane with numerous landscaping, lush landscaping and delightful timber and you’ve got uncovered brick so behind all of this stucco is the unique brick facade of the practice depot and I believe the intent of the fly-through, and people architects who created this fly-through video, was to seize that characteristic of that brick facade.
“The entire home windows stay intact. Nothing prefer it on the town. However these home windows are one thing that may stay intact as we protect the constructing. After which the video loops round to the north aspect of the constructing and captures what might be there – lots of out of doors seating, lots of area for individuals, for households to take pleasure in lunch, or dinner maybe, and simply recreate. So it actually, for me, means that that is actually a gathering area, a group gathering area.”
Gonzales says it’s too early to begin naming names and saying makes use of, however he says there’s been progress.
“There’s been plenty of individuals who have approached me about a few of their concepts of make this venture work, finance a venture,” he mentioned. “Actually, there’s an upfront price that’s huge when it comes to getting this constructing again to code and practical use, you already know, retrofitting the constructing, ensuring that it’s protected, after which additionally adapting it in order that it might probably discover a new life, akin to a public market. It’s not low-cost, however it is going to be an funding. However there once more, I believe that we will discover the appropriate incentives, maybe some grant alternatives, that may make it work and make it pencil.”
All people appears to love the concept of outdated buildings made new once more, not all people likes the concept of spending just a few million {dollars} to do it, however may a practical imaginative and prescient of what that renewal would possibly appear to be transfer the needle? Folks like Andre Gonzales are relying on it.