SEPTA last week announced that it has awarded a contract to the City of Philadelphia for the long-term lease of the former Shawmont Station along the Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line.
Built in the 1820s, the station is recognized as the oldest passenger railroad station in the country. The building has been closed to the public since 1991, and service to the station stopped in 1996.
“This lease will save SEPTA nearly $1 million in improvement costs and eliminate our future maintenance obligations, while facilitating the preservation of a historic rail asset,” said SEPTA Board …
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SEPTA last week announced that it has awarded a contract to the City of Philadelphia for the long-term lease of the former Shawmont Station along the Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line.
Built in the 1820s, the station is recognized as the oldest passenger railroad station in the country. The building has been closed to the public since 1991, and service to the station stopped in 1996.
“This lease will save SEPTA nearly $1 million in improvement costs and eliminate our future maintenance obligations, while facilitating the preservation of a historic rail asset,” said SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. in a news release.
Under this agreement, the city will pay SEPTA $1 per year for 20 years with one five-year renewal option. The city intends to sublease the property, located at 7700 Nixon St., to the Historic Shawmont Station Society. The nonprofit organization plans to restore and operate the building as a museum and community learning center.
The city will be responsible for all expenses associated with renovating the station building. SEPTA estimates the cost to restore it for occupancy at approximately $972,000.
“We look forward to returning a long-vacant building to productive use, reducing the potential for vandalism, and enhancing a prominent property located near the entrance to the Schuylkill River Trail,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer.
Between 2021 and 2023, SEPTA completed repairs to the exterior of the Shawmont Station to stabilize the structure and help prevent further deterioration. The agreement will go before Philadelphia City Council for approval.
