<P>It's been a long time since I've heard any news about the efforts to restore the E.B.T.<p>Last I heard 1 million was set aside for stablization of the shops. <p>What's being done on the other fronts?<br>A couple of years ago it's seemed pretty close to the whole thing being restored.<p>Thanks in advance for any info!<p>Alan<br><br>




AlanL759@aol.com

<P>Whew, OK, how much time do you have? This is a long story, but I'll try to cut it down to the essentials.<p>The 90s have seen good news and not-so-good news for the EBT. After a severe fiscal crisis which nearly saw the road closed, EBT seems to be on somewhat firmer financial ground these days. That's good news.<p>Also, after some tough times the relationship between EBT owner Joe Kovalchick and the independent preservationist group Friends of the East Broad Top is as warm as it has been in years. Also good news.<p>Finally, a standard-gauge operation called the Mount Union Connecting Railroad is placing much of the Mt. Union end of the EBT back into service, preserving all the dual-gauge track in the process. Also good news.<p><br>That said, here's the bad news. The line doesn't really even recover its bare operating costs, with the resulting defecit covered out of Mr. Kovalchick's pocket. There is no money at all left over for stabilizing or restoring the shop complex or reopening additional trackage.<p>Yes, EBT did submit an application to the TEA-21 program for money to restore the shops; Gary Landrio of Stone Design participated in crafting the proposal. It was a winner in the selection process and $1 million was obligated by the Feds and the state of Pa. The catch was that TEA-21 is a matching grant program and the proposal called for the EBT to make an "in-kind" donation of equivalent value by transferring title to the shops to a foundation. Somewhere along the way, the implementation talks broke down, the proposed transfer of the shops did not occur, and as a result no TEA-21 money was ever released.<p>So EBT soldiers on, seemingly safe for another year of operation, but with the shops still in danger from the elements and the long-term future far from clear.<p><br>




eledbetter@rypn.org

<P>Erik is on target. We submitted on behalf of the EBT a $2.1 million application last year for TEA-21 Enhansement Funds. We got a lot of support from all sources interested in the preservation of the EBT site. All the players came to the table: National Park Service, National Trust for Historic Preservation, PA Historic & Museum Commission, Bill Withuhn at the Smithsonian, PA State Parks Office, Friends of the EBT, Railroaders Memorial Museum, the local economic development officials and others. <p>The grant was to be matched by both an existing PA government capital grant line item and the EBT donating the shop site to a new EBT foundation. Unfortunately the PA-DOT pressured the downsizing of the grant to $1 million at the last minute before approval. Then with $1 million the EBT saw the matching money also shrink, and the whole concept unraveled.<p>I am not saying that the process is dead, but that it will not happen in the immediate future. This was the Kovalchick's best good faith effort to work with government sources for funding, and it is not bearing fruit.<br>




garyland@stoneconsulting.com