Old Railroad Depot to Be Dedicated Saturday

Clocks will be rolled back more than 40 years Saturday for the dedication of the old Glendale railroad depot as the city’s proposed new transportation center.

A band will play the sounds of Duke Ellington, the Dorsey Brothers and Glenn Miller, setting a 1940s mood for the celebration, to be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Amtrak station, 400 W. Cerritos Ave.

Red, white and blue banners will mark the stage for the event and vintage cars, clowns, a juggler, high-wheeled bicycles and police officers dressed as Keystone Kops will also help summon memories of the past. Free refreshments and free train rides to downtown Los Angeles and back also are expected to lure crowds.

The 11:30 a.m. dedication ceremony will feature speeches by Glendale Mayor Larry Zarian, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, state Sen. Newton Russell (R-Glendale), Assemblyman Pat Nolan (R-Glendale), Amtrak spokesman Arthur Lloyd and Glendale historian Vonnie Rossman.

It will all be part of Glendale’s attempt to celebrate life before freeways and to kick off an effort to wean local residents and commuters from dependence on their automobiles.

“We want to give life to the transportation of the 1940s,” said Rita Fell, a city parks supervisor in charge of the dedication celebration. “That was the heyday of train stations.”

In December, the city allocated more than $3.5 million in Proposition A county transit tax funds to purchase the 67-year-old Southern Pacific railroad depot with the idea of turning it into a transportation hub.

Officials expect to spend up to $13 million to link Amtrak trains and a proposed light-rail system with shuttle buses, van pools and possibly a trolley line into downtown Glendale, said Steve Adams, an assistant city manager in charge of the project.

The plan is integral to the city’s attempt to meet stringent requirements issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District to curb commuter traffic and downtown congestion in order to reduce air pollution.

A team of consultants hired this month by the city is charged with developing a master plan by the end of next year to convert the depot into a transportation center. The $142,250 contract was awarded to Stevens/Garland Associates, Inc. to prepare a feasibility study, needs assessment and master plan.

Those attending Saturday’s event are asked to park at the Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, 1420 S. Central Ave., entering the structure from Laurel Street. City-sponsored Beeline Shuttle buses will run throughout the day between the hospital and the train station.