YOUR SAY: The Terminal Station - 100 years later
As we approach the centennial anniversary of Macon's Terminal-Union Station, it is fitting that distant history as well as recent history be preserved and credit given where due to those who played vital roles in building, maintaining, renovating and turning this gem of a building into the beautiful multimodal center that it has become today.
According to an April 6, 1917, editorial in The Macon Telegraph (some four months after the official opening of the new Terminal-Union Station at the foot of Cherry Street, on Dec. 1, 1916), retired Col. Robert Berner of Macon filed a petition Sept. 28, 1912, with the Georgia Railroad Commission, asking that the railroads entering Macon be required to erect an adequate "Union" passenger station in Macon. The editorial read in part, "The chances are ten to one that the one man who on the record as it stands started the whole thing going and is certainly entitled to credit in individual remembrance will not even be thought of."
The Telegraph's editorial went on to state, "It is a little belated, but it seems to The Telegraph that Robert L. Berner ought to get some sort of conspicuous recognition for his part in it." The editorial concluded with these words, "Nobody was even thinking of a new station when Mr. Berner, as a citizen went alone before the Railroad Commission, drew attention to the inadequate and almost disgraceful facilities prevailing in Macon and single-handedly, stayed with it until the ball began to roll."
Berner's efforts culminated with the Terminal Station being built. It should be noted that it was built at the cost of $2 million of taxpayers' money through the issuance of bonds backed by the city of Macon. The only stain on Berner's worthwhile and persistent efforts was designating the least desirable portion of an otherwise splendid and handsome building as the Colored Waiting Room, with the sign etched in stone, meaning that the intent was for it to remain forever.
After passenger rail service ended in Macon in 1976, Southern Railroad basically gave this wonderful building to the city of Macon for the meager price of $250,000. The late Mayor Buck Melton, in turn, sold the building for $400,000, which ultimately ended up in the hands of Georgia Power, which did a great job of retrofitting it for their purpose of a regional call center, customer service center and executive offices. Georgia Power should be given a lot of credit for stabilizing and renovating the office suites. During my administration, we purchased the building from Georgia Power for $2 million -- the exact amount it cost to construct the building in 1916.
The Terminal Station was purchased and designated as a multimodal passenger transportation center in 2002 with a $1 million grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation and a $1 million match from the citizens of Macon through a bond issuance. I wish to thank our then Georgia Department of Transportation board member, the late Harry Dickson, for signing off on the grant. Without his support, the purchase would not have been possible. Former Gov. Zell Miller also provided support by interceding on our behalf when it appeared that Georgia Power wanted somewhere near the appraised value of $8.9 million for the building. Miller was then serving as our U.S. senator, but had just recently resigned as a Georgia Power board member. Perhaps he convinced Georgia Power executives to make a gift to the city. I don't know what he did, I only know that without his help, we could not have afforded to purchase the Terminal Station.
After the city gained ownership of the Terminal Station and it was designated as a multimodal facility, we could then apply for Federal Transit Administration grants. I would like to thank then District 8 U.S. Rep. Saxby Chambliss, who didn't say no when he was approached to request a $6.8 million earmark for the renovation of the Terminal Station in order to move the bus transfer station, drivers license office and the Transit Authority office there, and prepare for Amtrak's and Greyhound's bus services -- as well as Georgia passenger rail services arrival. This would not have been possible without Chambliss in the House and then-Sen. Max Cleland in the Senate agreeing to our request. I'm convinced that had Roy Barnes been re-elected as governor of Georgia, passenger rail between Macon and Atlanta would be a reality. Gov. Sonny Purdue stopped the passenger rail program dead in its tracks -- pun intended.
Nevertheless, I wish to thank all of those who have been involved in turning this gem of a facility into the splendid building that it was 100 years ago (next year). Although the Colored Waiting Room sign is still there -- etched in stone, it shall always be there because we are not allowed to deface a historic building. It stands as a symbol of who we were, but not who we are. We have evolved into a more inclusive and diverse community. After all, it was a "colored fella," while serving as the city of Macon's first and only "colored mayor" that led the team to purchase, renovate and designate the Terminal Station as a multimodal transportation center to be used by all of its citizens.
It was 100 years ago (October 1915) that the actual work began on preparing the site for the erection of the Terminal-Union Station, and as they say, "the rest is history." I am glad, along with others, to have played a part in preserving and returning this important building back to the people of Macon-Bibb County to be used as the main multimodal transportation center in Middle Georgia. Who knows, one day, in the not so distant future, we might hear the words from the conductors for all modes of transportation, calling the familiar sound of, "All Aboard," just as Robert Berner envisioned nearly 100 years ago. If Berner and others could dream and think big so many years ago, why can't we? Thanks Col. Berner -- you were truly a visionary.
C. Jack Ellis is a former mayor of Macon.
This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 9:53 PM with the headline "YOUR SAY: The Terminal Station - 100 years later ."