Surprise— Winston-Salem’s proposed $175 million bond will not include Union Station renovations:
More recently, the city has decided to also pay for the Union Station project using bonds that don’t require voter approval. That $18 million project was originally included among transportation projects for the bond vote, but then city officials discovered that it would have to be a separate public transit item on the ballot. Since the city wanted to go ahead and take care of roof repairs, Garrity said, it was decided to remove the Union Station project from the bond referendum items.
…The station would be a train station once again if the city ever lures high-speed rail service here, but in the meantime the renovation would repair the historic structure and open up some of it for retail use. The station would also serve as a bus station and taxi stand.
City Manager Lee Garrity can say the city needs to move forward sooner rather than later with Union Station renovations, but does anyone really doubt how it would fare as a separate item on the ballot, especially when W-S residents just want their potholes patched and their roads tarred?
