Bus Station
The Broad Street Pavilion, also known as the old bus depot, has not been in operation for over 20 years. The City of Jesup purchased the property a few years ago with hopes of remodeling the historic building. Last summer, the City was awarded a USDA grant for $98,000. In order to improve the image of the building and contribute to the economic growth of our downtown community, the City’s renovation plans include a restaurant and farmers market.
Jesup is rich in railroad history. Known as the “City that Trains Built”, Jesup is only one of five Amtrak stops in Georgia. The current train depot, located next door to the bus station, sustained major fire damages in 2003. The City of Jesup and Wayne County are perusing grants to renovate the train depot. In the meantime, the Broad Street pavilion will provide a safe, convenient, and pleasant environment for Amtrak travelers. The new pavilion would also improve the impression of Georgia, downtown Jesup in particular.
A downtown restaurant would also be part of the renovations. Travelers often do not have access to restrooms and there are very few dining facilities near the train depot. Including a restaurant would improve the quality of the station while contributing to the downtown economy.
With 34% of the agricultural crop in Wayne County being row and vegetables crops, the most feasible use of the outside pavilion would be a farmers market. Since there is not a market in our area, this would be a great help to our local farmers. The market would allow local residents, as well as travelers, to purchase fresh produce.
The City of Jesup recently completed a Transportation Enhancement Act (TEA) streetscape project which included brick walk ways and nicely landscaped sidewalks leading up to the pavilion. By improving the station, the City hopes to continue the growth and improvements of the downtown area. With a growth rate of over 10% in the last decade, Jesup continues to apply for grants to enhance our local economy.
The Downtown Development Authority will be in charge of this project. Renovations are scheduled to begin in the Spring 2006.
