Salisbury Southern Railroad Passenger Depot

Historic Salisbury Foundation, Inc. (HSF) is issuing a request for information in how an interested party could improve, purchase, repurpose and/or redevelop the Salisbury Southern Railroad Passenger Depot.

HSF is accepting submissions through JULY 28, 2023.

In 1975 the property was recognized by individual inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2019 the property was designated as a historic landmark by action of the Salisbury Historic Preservation Commission and Salisbury City Council. The ordinance identifies the property as a pivotal resource in the district nomination, and it lies in the Salisbury Railroad Corridor Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and thereby restricts any changes to the interior or exterior features of the building unless and until an approved Certificate of Appropriateness is obtained from Salisbury Historic Preservation Commission. The property is designated as a historic landmark by the City of Salisbury, providing for a 50% property tax deferment to be applied for annually to the tax assessor’s office so long as the property maintains its landmark status.

The property is a 1908 Spanish Mission style designed by prolific architect Frank P. Milburn and is an important example in North Carolina of his eclectic style and is “one of the most ambitious railroad depots surviving in the state”, according to the State Historic Preservations Office of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. A replica of a portion of the Depot can be seen at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

In 1986 Historic Salisbury Foundation, Inc. purchased the property from the Southern Railway Company and spent over 3.1 million dollars for restoration, with the final phase completed in 1996. Since that time the property continues to serve as a special events venue and includes:

• 15,107 square feet on a 2.23 acre parcel
• Original covered passenger platform and concourse of 10,752 square feet
• South gardens
• 20+ rooms (including a catering kitchen)
• 40 dedicated parking spaces
• 2 tenants currently under lease (Amtrak and photography studio)

Located in vibrant Salisbury, NC, the county seat of Rowan County, with nearly 4 million living within 60 miles of Rowan County. The historic project site is less than a mile from exit 76, the premier I-85 exit for Salisbury, where traffic volumes average 29,500 vehicles per day. Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point are all less than one hour away!

Please note that HSF has received a broker opinion for the reasonable value of the Depot in the amount of $3.1 million, with an optimistic sales price of $4.1 million, and a 2021 appraisal in the amount of $4.8 million.

Click here to view more details in the full RFI.

Click here to view the Front Elevation plan of the Salisbury Southern Railroad Passenger Depot.