And now some non Colorado Narrow gauge problems...
|
August 13, 2007 02:11PM
|
|
Registered: 16 years ago
Posts: 301
|
Narrow gauge told it must pay rent
Supporters worry that the expense could be disastrous for the railroad on Portland's East End.
Bookmark & share:
Printer-friendly version
E-mail this page
Reader Comments (below)
By ALLISON ROSS, Staff Writer
July 27, 2007
The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad is soon going to have to begin paying rent, and people involved are worried the added payment will end up ruining the not-for-profit organization if it can't raise the necessary funds.
For almost 14 years, the railroad's headquarters and museum have been housed rent-free in one of the buildings at the Portland Company Complex at 58 Fore St. However, the owner of the complex, Phineas Sprague Jr., is refinancing the land and is asking the railroad to begin paying rent or leave by Sept. 30.
The railroad must raise enough money to pay $65,000 a year in rent or lose the building the museum is housed in, as well as about 15,000 square feet of space for a train yard, said Susan Davis, director of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad.
Davis said losing the space would be disastrous.
"We'd have to close the museum and just operate the railroad," Davis said. "And I just don't know how many people would ride the train if there were no museum to go to.… It's my perception that we need the museum to run the train."
Sprague said he's sure something will be worked out to keep the train running. Even if the group can't raise the money to keep the building for the museum, he believes it can raise enough to at least keep some space in the yard, and the group could operate from there until it was more financially stable.
"It's not the end of the railroad. We're just talking about the museum building. They will come up with something," Sprague said. "We are just trying to get them to shrink down to what they can afford."
Until now, Sprague has allowed the railroad to use the space free.
However, increased pressure from Sprague's siblings and the railroad's failure to show substantial financial progress forced Sprague to ask the railroad to begin to stand on its own.
"My brothers and sisters looked and said, 'They aren't making any money. They aren't doing anything but look to the family to support them. The railroad has no future if it's going to keep operating like this,"' Sprague said.
"I think the railroad is an asset to the community, but I can't carry them (the railroad) on my shoulders," he said.
Sprague said he remains a big supporter of the railroad and wants to see it do well, but that it's now up to the community to take responsibility to help.
Sprague was one of the strongest supporters in working to bring the narrow gauge railroad to Maine, and he said he is disappointed and sad that the community has taken it for granted.
"This is one of the most important railroad collections in the world, and it could be a significant gift to Portland and the state of Maine if it could be supported properly," Sprague said. "If you have a gift, you ought to take care of it."
Davis said the railroad is close to being able to afford the rent, but cannot quite manage it now without help.
She said the group is three years away from paying off a $750,000 loan it received in 1993 to purchase the railroad collection.
After that, she says, the annual loan payment of a little more than $60,000 could then go toward the rent.
"We were hoping we could last another three years, but the timing was off," Davis said.
Instead, she is hoping to raise enough money to pay back the remaining $175,000 left on the loan so the funds they regularly bring in can go toward the rent rather than the loan.
Davis said she is working to get out information about the railroad's situation and hopes the public, especially longtime railroad fans, will rally around to help.
"I'm hoping to draw attention to our need," Davis said. "There are a lot of people who use us for entertainment. If they realize how much help we need, I'm sure they'll come help us."
Staff Writer Allison Ross can be contacted at 791-6451 or at:
aross@pressherald.com
