Claremont to Refurbish Old Railway Depot : Transit: Once the abandoned depot is converted to a center for bus lines, it could also serve a proposed commuter rail line.

A 63-year-old railway depot that has been shut down for more than 20 years will be refurbished into a transit center for bus lines and, perhaps, commuter trains.

City officials, who last week approved minor repairs to the depot they bought in December, are studying how to convert it to a transit center. Having such a center in the depot would not only preserve a historic building but also make Claremont a likely stop along a proposed commuter rail line from Los Angeles to San Bernardino, they say.

Proponents of rail service say Claremont would become a more convenient place to live for commuters, and its Village, the central business district, would become more prosperous.

“We have good schools, a safe community and good family living,” said Dawn Rehfeld, manager of a Claremont real estate office. “The only problem is the traffic.”

The depot stands beside Santa Fe and Southern Pacific rail lines that are under consideration by county supervisors and the county Transportation Commission for commuter rail service.

Richard Stanger, director of rail development for the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, said there would be 10 or more stations along the 60-mile route between Los Angeles and San Bernardino. That would mean a station about every six miles. He said the number of stops would be limited in order to get passengers from San Bernardino to Los Angeles in 90 minutes.

Rehfeld said she has sold homes in Claremont to people who work as far away as Long Beach and the west side of Los Angeles, but the long-distance travel discourages many prospective buyers. She said a home that costs $300,000 in Pasadena might be $50,000 to $70,000 cheaper in Claremont.

Peggy Proestos, city economic development director, said a rail line through Claremont would not only help commuters but also could draw shoppers to the Village.

The rail depot is at the foot of the Village, at First Street and Harvard Avenue.

“We don’t want more congestion or a situation where we are increasing traffic,” Proestos said. “We do want people to find Claremont as a shopping mecca.”

The Village has only two chain stores, but it has many locally owned specialty shops, bookstores, cafes and other attractions. Proestos said the Village is unusual enough to draw out-of-town shoppers and could become a destination for train passengers. “A mall is a mall is a mall,” she said, “but Claremont is something special.”

Mayor Nick Presecan, who commutes to work in Pasadena, said he can imagine some shoppers coming to Claremont by train, but he added: “I would find it hard to believe it would be a major destination.” He said he can also envision train service that might make it convenient for tourists to stay in Claremont and visit other places, just as he stayed at an out-of-the-way hotel in Paris and saw the city.

Presecan said he would welcome the chance to commute to work by train. His daily trip to Pasadena is never less than an hour, he said, and often is in stop-and-go traffic. “I could sit and read” on the train, he said. “I wouldn’t have to sit and cuss at the drivers.”

Stanger said he is confident that if commuter trains are put in service, Claremont will have a rail station, though perhaps only a “skip-stop”--a station offering limited service, with some trains stopping and others not.

Councilwoman Judy Wright said a skip-stop would suit Claremont because the city doesn’t want to be a regional transportation center.

The Santa Fe depot, built in Spanish colonial revival style in 1927 to replace a depot that was constructed in 1887, was acquired by the city in December for $459,000.

The City Council last week approved spending $15,000 for minor repairs and maintenance, and it authorized its staff to begin soliciting proposals from consultants on how best to use the depot.

The cost of rehabilitating the depot is estimated at $350,000. If the rail service does not develop, the city will still use the depot as a central connection point for local and regional bus systems.

City officials said any use of the depot will require acquisition of parking space. The city is looking at three sites near the depot.

The city acquired the depot with funds from Proposition A, the half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 1982. Proposition A funds also will be used to rehabilitate and maintain the depot.