A century-old railroad depot in downtown Plaquemine is getting a makeover that will turn it into a home for small local businesses and a welcome center for visitors. The renovations, which cost more than $1 million, are expected to wrap up by Dec. 5.
The project, which began under the previous city administration, is designed to carve out small retail areas inside the historic building while preserving a key safety feature, according to WBRZ. Mayor John Barker said the original plan called for a wall along the railroad tracks for safety and as a noise barrier, but he worried that feature would eat up space needed for vendors.
Barker said he found a solution to that problem while on a trip to New York City, discovering a way to keep the protective wall in place while still carving out room for local businesses inside the depot. The fix will give vendors shop areas measuring 10 feet by 8 feet, each outfitted with shelves for display, the station's report notes. Movable walls built into the design will let the city expand a vendor's space if their business grows, allowing the layout to flex as tenants change over time.
A Welcome Center Rooted in Plaquemine History
Beyond the vendor stalls, a portion of the depot's interior will be dedicated to a welcome center stocked with information and history about Plaquemine, per the same account. That focus on heritage fits the building itself: the depot was built in 1926, during the era of Huey P. Long, and has already lived several lives since trains stopped running through it.
After its run as a railroad depot ended, the building served as the city police station from 1968 to 1996. The city of Plaquemine says that once that chapter closed, the depot was then restored and committed to economic development of the area, according to plaquemine.org, including years of rental to boutique shops. The city's Main Street Program separately lists renovating and opening the Depot Market for small businesses to sell antiques, crafts, artwork, and other items among its completed projects.
A Second Depot Project Already Underway Nearby
The current renovation isn't the only construction tied to the depot. A separate effort known as the Depot Marketplace broke ground in 2025 as an addition to the Plaquemine Depot in the downtown area, according to postsouth.com. That $1.7 million project, funded in part by $1.5 million in grants secured by state Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter and state Rep. Chad Brown, is planned to add a pavilion, restrooms and greenspace on the north end of the depot near the railroad tracks.
Postsouth.com reports the Depot Marketplace site is meant to facilitate farmers' markets and arts and crafts markets, along with other activities and events. It is not clear from available records whether that project shares funding, contractors or a timeline with the vendor-space renovation now underway inside the depot itself. For now, Plaquemine residents have two separate construction efforts converging on the same historic building, with the interior vendor shops and welcome center targeted for completion by Dec. 5.
