The City Council of Braidwood, Ill., is nearly set on buying a lot at 111 N. Center St. on which to move the town’s historic railroad depot. However, according to the Braidwood Journal, Bob and Nancy Scamen are offering a piece of land that might be a tad more enticing:
“My husband and I own the property at 261 Kane Street, which we would very much like to see the depot at,” Nancy Scamen told the Braidwood City Council at their regular meeting Tuesday night. […]
“Our property is located on Historical Route 66,” Nancy Scamen explained. “If located there, it can be seen from Rt. 53, 129 and 113. It is definitely big enough. It could face the railroad tracks that it historically served.”
The Scamen’s say a building already located on the property is the identical size of the depot, ensuring that the property is big enough to hold the structure. The couple also noted that there is already parking at the city parking lot at Rice and Railroad Streets that could accommodate the depot if it were placed there.
Additionally, the Scamen’s say they’ve spoken with an engineer from the Illinois Department of Transportation, and were told that there would not be a problem with the right-of-ways at Rice or Railroad Streets if the depot were located to that lot.
The couple also believes that there would be room on the property for a park-like setting, and say they’ve gained support from members of the Chamber of Commerce, the Braidwood Area Historical Society and the general public.
But the couple didn’t get much of a response from councilors. That’s because the council is already under contract to pay $150,000 for the Center Street property. The only issues remaining on the current transaction are title clearances.
It sounds like the Scamens made a good offer, but far too late during the process.
The Braidwood depot, which sits at Route 66 and Illinois 113, is being moved because a grocery store owner needs the space for more parking. The depot dates to 1882.