Klamath Falls, Ore. – Efforts to renovate an industrial area in downtown Klamath Falls have been complicated by some old rail lines.
The arrival of the railroad in 1909 helped bring industry to Klamath Falls.
“Before trucking became super prevalent, you of course had most of these industrial sites served by rail.” Notes Klamath Falls Senior Planner Joe Wall. “And you had the rail going along each of these building’s back sides.”
Some of those rails still remain – while in other areas, they’ve been removed.
“Even though they appear just to be alleys behind buildings, it’s owned by the railroad.” Explains Wall. “I think they were out of sight, and out of mind for a great many years.”
The city is now considering a 30 year, $16,000,000 effort to renovate the Spring Street area.
But first, Wall says the city needs to know who owns some of the old rail spurs. “Union Pacific has not only recently reached out to property owners, asking them to either purchase, lease, or vacate their materials from the property.”
The city is also working with a title company to help clear up ownership issues.
The work is one of the first steps in a long-term project.
“When we look at this Spring Street industrial area, I think there are a lot of city efforts to make it viable again.” Said Wall.
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