Plain City officials are working to create a new community park, called the Public Square, with a repurposed, historic train depot as a centerpiece. The conceptual rendering shown above illustrates the depot, which will be at the northeast corner of the site behind the former municipal buildings on South Chillicothe Street, along with an indoor marketplace created from a restored garage. Outdoor space will include children’s play area, seating space and a splash pad.
(Graphic submitted)
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The conceptual rendering above illustrates plans for the Public Square, a new community park planned for the corner of East Bigelow Avenue and Church Street. Officials said the park will create a community gathering space that expands the footprint of the village’s Uptown.
(Graphic submitted)
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Plain City officials are hoping to tie the past to the future by creating a new park with a repurposed train depot at its center.
“I think it’ll be a unique park in Plain City and the area, mixing the old and the new,” Village Administrator Haley Lupton said.
The Depot will be the centerpiece of a new community park called the Public Square, which will eventually include outdoor green spaces, a splash pad, children’s play area, fire pit and seating areas.
Officials also hope to repurpose an existing garage into an indoor marketplace for seasonal vendors and community events, like the Plain City Farmers Market.
Council voted unanimously Monday to purchase the historic Brice train depot for $150,000 with the intent of relocating it to the land behind the village’s former municipal buildings and fire station, at the corner of East Bigelow Avenue and Church Street.
Historical maps from throughout the 1800s describe the site as “the public square,” Lupton noted.
She said that when the village sold the municipal building on South Chillicothe Street, it retained ownership of a large gravel lot directly east of the property, some of which is being converted into a public parking lot.
She said officials feel “this would be the perfect place” to create a community gathering space that expands the footprint of the Uptown.
“It’s beyond my expectations what could’ve been done with that (land),” Council President Michael Terry said.
Lupton explained that the vision for the park revolves around an effort to “pay homage” to Plain City’s past.
Plain City’s history is intertwined with the history of railroads, Lupton said, adding that the first train passed through the community on July 4, 1853, when the village was still known as Pleasant Valley.
Plain City was one of the leading stations in Ohio for shipping livestock on the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway and even received shipments of oysters from the east coast.
The railway was central to a notable moment in village history, when the Abraham Lincoln Funeral Train passed through the community in 1865, Lupton said.
She said the rail service was so central to the village’s economy and connection to other communities that Maple Street was previously known as Railroad Street.
“People have really fond memories of the depot,” Lupton said.
While the village’s original depot was demolished in the 1960s, she said the historic Brice depot resembles the one that once stood in Plain City.
The depot, which was originally constructed in the village of Brice in the 1880s, was relocated to northwest Columbus in 2004 to be reconstructed and restored by Barry Fromm. The depot was part of a larger rail collection including three historic train cars that Fromm restored and preserved.
“Many of the original depot components were retained, including the original wooden walls and ceilings, while others were salvaged from other historical structures,” according to information from Development Manager Jason Stanford.
The Brice depot, currently located in Upper Arlington, served as a museum, meeting and event space.
Following Fromm’s passing in 2018, his family members sought to sell pieces of his restored collection to entities “that would prioritize continued preservation of these historical assets,” Stanford wrote.
The 1,473-square-foot structure will be dismantled and shipped to Plain City, Lupton explained, then reconstructed on a new foundation in June.
She said it “will not be long to get the building up and running.” Officials anticipate the facility will open to the public in early 2025.
Lupton said relocating the depot is phase one of the public square project.
Future phases include completing The Park at Public Square and its amenities, as well as creating the Marketplace at Public Square from the village’s garage. Stanford said these projects will be completed as funding becomes available.
Mayor Jody Carney said it is “almost overwhelming” to consider the excitement that the Public Square will create among both residents and visitors.
Terry said he is looking forward to talking with surrounding businesses and local residents to continue to foster synergy in the Uptown.
Lupton said the project aligns with the results of the Uptown Master Plan, which indicated that residents would like to see new and improved amenities in the area, along with the private investment in area businesses that is already occurring.