The temporary Amtrak station in the parking lot of the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site will likely be moved to a new location or removed all together by the end of the month.
On Nov. 23, Jefferson City received a letter from the state Division of Facilities Management, Design and Construction, notifying the city the trailer needs to be moved from the state-owned parking lot by Dec. 28.
If the city does not move the trailer by that date, it will be placed in storage until the city can retrieve it, according to the letter.
This comes a few weeks after state officials confirmed the Union Hotel would remain closed for the foreseeable future due to lack of funding for repairs.
A structural engineer did a preliminary assessment of the building after it closed in October 2019, which indicated the historic hotel building was not habitable.
When the building closed, the city worked with state agencies to secure a temporary replacement and the state gave the city permission to use the location for the trailer to provide passengers a place to wait.
Jefferson City and state of Missouri entered into a lease agreement over 20 years ago to manage the Amtrak station in the lower floor of the Union Hotel.
City Operations Division Director Britt Smith said conversations about moving the trailer began between city staff and the state a few months ago.
In a letter to the city, FMDC Director Mark Hill wrote the current location is not acceptable for long-term use, in part because it is blocking some state parking, which is "at a premium" during the legislative session.
"There was no written agreement for use of the parking lot, as the arrangement was made in haste and was intended to be temporary," Hill wrote. "Neither the City nor Amtrak has paid any rent for the use of the parking lot."
On Thursday, city staff presented the Jefferson City Council Committee on Public Works with an alternative location for the trailer. The proposal was to move the trailer into the Water Street right-of-way.
This city-owned property was the only option to keep the trailer close to the station that provided electric, water and sewer connections for the restroom inside, Smith said.
"We believe this is the only option short of eliminating the station," Smith said.
However, the new location would block one of the two access points to the parking lot next to Jefferson Landing where the trailer currently sits.
City Attorney Ryan Moehlman said the state does not approve of the proposed relocation site.
"The state, quite unequivocally, said if we proceed with this proposed relocation that they would sue us and seek injunction and damages," Moehlman said.
The committee - made up of five City Council members - agreed the city should provide an indoor station to Amtrak riders if at all possible, but that the city should avoid fighting it out in court with the state.
"I'm not interested in trying to settle this in court," Ward 4 Councilman Ron Fitzwater said.
To move forward, the committee voted to request from the state a 180-day extension on the issue to give the city more time to decide what to do with the station.