Amtrak Station Named 'Place in Peril'

Midtown-based on Tuesday announced its 2012 list of 10 Places in Peril in the state.

Atlanta's historic railroad buildings were on the list, including the that sits on Peachtree Street at the edge of Midtown.

The list is designed to raise awareness about Georgia's significant historic, archaeological and cultural resources in hopes of protecting them from demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy.

"This is the Trust's seventh annual Places in Peril list," Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Trust, said in a prepared statement. "We hope the list will continue to bring preservation action to Georgia's imperiled historic resources by highlighting 10 representative sites."

Here's what the Trust wrote about Atlanta's historic railroad buildings:

THE STORY
The development of the railroad was a leading force in Atlanta's growth and prosperity in the 19th and early 20th Century. With the demolition of Atlanta's Union and Terminal Stations, Georgia's capital lost much of its railroad legacy. Many railroad structures in Atlanta are vacant and have no current plans for reuse. Among the remnants of Atlanta's railroad legacy are Peachtree Station on Peachtree Street and the Norfolk Southern complex on Spring Street. Peachtree Station, now known as Brookwood Station, was designed by Neel Reid and built in 1917. It is leased to AMTRAK. The Northfolk Southern complex includes two 1912 buildings as well as the largest vacant swath of undeveloped land in Atlanta, known as "the gulch."

THE THREAT
Neglect and abandonment threatens many of these resources. AMTRAK is planning to move out of Peachtree Station.

SOLUTION
Identify future uses and preservation strategies for the buildings so that they will continue to contribute to the economic benefit of Atlanta.

Find the whole list and additional information online.