Save Abandoned SEPTA Buildings: 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012

Donations

This project is going to require a large amount of donations of time, money and materials.

The museum will need:

Old SEPTA photographs
Authentic pieces of machinery
Display of old Models such as Almond Joy Cars
Old schedules
Old signs
Video footage of early train services such as West Chester.
A yard with old train cars including Almond Joy Cars, Blueliners, South Broad Street Cars and Bullets.

Possible ways to receive property and funding

One possible way of receiving access to an abandoned property could be the Pennsylvania Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act, which allows groups or individuals to petition the court to be named conservators of an abandoned and blighted property. To meet the criteria, the property must also be considered a public nuisance, in need of substantial repair, a fire risk, and unfit for occupancy, which is criteria that the SEPTA buildings meet.

Below is a list of first steps that are necessary to consider before filing the petition:

Budget for costs—Title Report, Court Filing Fees, Service of Process, Design and Construction Professionals
Order a full title report to verify record owner, and ascertain extent of liens and judgments
Eliminate any other methods of eliminating the blight, e.g. private acquisition, untangle title problems, condemnation, tax sale, code enforcement
Gather evidence on the physical condition of the property
Make sure the petitioner is an eligible interested party
Consult development experts to draft the preliminary plan
Review the First Judicial District’s General Court Regulation and sample pleadings, since the local court rules supersede the statute in some key respects
Assemble a legal team (a litigator and a real estate lawyer)
Determine the scope of work required and seek financing
Weigh the risks—if the costs and fees cannot be recovered, if required rehab is too expensive, if the owner comes back, if title can be cleared to sell the property

There was one Philadelphia non-profit, the Urban Tree Connection, that used this Act to support the efforts of their group. By successfully petitioning the court, they received more land to legally farm in West Philadelphia.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Models for Station Transformation

Long-A-Coming Historical Society
Berlin, New Jersey

This stop closed sometime in the 1960's due to a declining ridership. It remained empty until 1994, when two residents of Berlin, Roy Schmidt and Dan Pomponio, Sr., began to restore the station. Restoration took two years to complete and serves meeting place for the Historical Society, special occasions, and holds artifacts of the town's history.

Quakertown Train Station Historical Society
Quakertown, Pennsylvania

Service to this stop discontinued on July 1, 1981 and is now truncated to Lansdale which has a switch to Doylestown. Following a fire in May 1989, a group of residents began restoring the destroyed building. They raised the money through various fundraisers and through grants. The building is now used for the following three things: private parties, various community events and tours that cover the history of the town and station served by Reading from 1902-1974, and SEPTA from 1974-1981.

Portage Area Historical Society
Portage, Pennsylvania

The Portage Area Historical Society (PAHS) was formed in 1992 as a charitable foundation intended to preserve local history. PAHS manages the Portage Station Museum located in the original 1926 railroad depot. The museum contains displays showing the area's history of influences of coal mining, railroads, steel, forests, water and recreation. The museum is run entirely by a volunteer staff.