KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers portions of eastern Jackson County, including areas like Blue Springs and Independence. If you have a story idea to share, send an email to Claire at claire.bradshaw@kshb.com.
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After a pause, the city of Independence has restarted efforts to restore the historic Truman train depot.
The city council approved a change order and amended a contract at its meeting on Monday, July 15, that allowed the planning process to begin again.
The Truman Depot is where former President Harry S. Truman stepped on and off the train in his hometown. He used it for his whistle-stop campaign, too.
Present day, the building has been closed for renovations since 2020. The paint is peeling and it offers no amenities for passengers getting off in town, which is why the city wants to get the ball rolling to restore it.
“We have very limited parking here at the building, also to historic buildings, so having to keep in mind the historic nature of the building for reuse purposes ... it's kind of off the beaten track a little bit. It's not near the square,” said Morris Heidi, director of parks, recreation and tourism for Independence.
Heidi said Independence is an overlooked stop on the Missouri River Runner’s route, sandwiched between Lee’s Summit and Union Station.
In 2018, Amtrak numbers showed Lee’s Summit saw about four times the ridership of Independence.
Harrisonville resident Barry Jones was parked watching the train come by on Thursday. He does this when he is in Independence.
Jones said he noticed the depot was not in the best condition when he first started his routine and hopes to see its history preserved.
“The first time ever, [I] came down here because I thought, 'This is silly.' … I thought I’d have a restroom to use, but they said, 'No, no it's closed right now; that's being renovated,'" Jones said. "And I thought, 'Well, I hope they get it done because it'd be kind of nice to see it.'"
Heidi said the city doesn’t have any official plans or renderings since the process has only just begun.
The city has to wait for nearby construction to finish before moving forward, which means there isn’t a price tag yet, either.
Independence received $350,000 from the Transportation Alternatives Program, and Heidi said the city will foot the rest of the bill.
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