By Railfan & Railroad Staff

SANTA FE, N.M. — A historic depot in Santa Fe, N.M., is getting a facelift. The Santa Fe City Council recently approved a plan to spend $1 million on rehabilitation of the former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway depot that is used by New Mexico Rail Runner Express and Santa Fe Southern, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. 

The depot was built in 1880 and is now the northern terminus of the Rail Runner. While the depot is still used today, it has fallen into disrepair, the newspaper reports. Problems include a leaking roof, rotting beams and deteriorating pebble-dash stucco on the exterior. The city recently installed temporary shoring on the building to stabilize it. However, the firm hired to rehab the depot said they will work hard to maintain the building’s historic character. 

“Generally, we are trying to keep as much of the building as possible,” said Becca Snyder, an architect at Barbara Felix Architecture. “We are trying to hold onto as much of the existing material as we can. What we have to replace, we will replace in kind, but we are trying to keep as much of the historic building as possible.”