I hope money will be directed to giving this treasure a makeover. BUT -- a cautious one. I don't want to see Orlando station take on the traits of a spayed, neutered, gentrified, corporate business extravaganza that takes all of the 'train' out of the station.
You all know what I'm talking about here: I shall use mantras and curses to keep expelled out of Orlando station things like a Starbucks cafe, staffed Bank Everywhere branch, designer plastic chairs that wiegh two ounces, glass and cable mininimalist (and characterless) awnings over the doorways, giving the green light to any developer interested in 'mall-ifying' it. No, no, no. I require a rail museum curator who is familiar with rail stations of the south, Florida in particular, to serve in some decision making capacity, along with regional buildings preservation groups, and finally, a select group of Amtrak people. None of the two-faced Language class failures who messed up the NY-NJ TransHudson tunnel, please. Only if you've got a brain that is smart, compitent to the jobs necessary as well as Claytor-ian mixtures of financing, dancing deftly with politicians, and knowing how to speak and write in complete logical sentences. And, compassion, oodles of it. Reviving a train station, a steam engine, the rail industry, requires a care and love that is not clouded with mental reservation, doubt, and distraction.
That being said, probably a sandblasting and shellacking or revarnishing of all the wooden public benches are a must. Stone flooring that is well made and can withstand decades of dragging luggage. A nice secure paint job done in harmony with the station's Spanish influences (perhaps salmon or light shade of orange). Do not dare think of getting rid of the classic telephone boothes. Give the Hertz pavillion some more room, make it classy, and have it staffed more hours (with a resurrected and daily-ed Sunset, plus Silver Palm, and upcoming SunRail, this should make money). The long disused freight house need not wither. Many have rightfully complained of a lack of nearby dining outlets, save for a sandwich shop across the street. With several new hospitals and/or medical centers serving as Amtrak's neighbors, a Country Kitchen Buffet would fit right in. Fix up that broken parking lot. Put the Amtrak name on a large main marquee and two smaller ones at either end of the street that passes it, showing Orlando and the world that the National Railroad Passenger Co. is serious about being a name that will serve as pillar to the town, the state, and the country. Amtrak has to show it can kick ass, yet nurture a broken egg until the baby chick hatches. Finally, a radical idea: use some of the freighthouse for Tropicana, to be hauled either by CSX or Amtrak.
