§5563 Conversion of Certain Rail Passenger Terminals

Summary

Allows the Secretary of Transportation to give money to turn a historic rail passenger terminal into a place that serves multiple types of travel only if several rules are met. The terminal must be able to add other travel modes the Secretary thinks are suitable (for example, buses, mass transit — rail or rubber‑tire — and airline ticket offices or shuttles to airports). The building must be on the National Register of Historic Places, and its architectural character must be kept. Where possible, travel use should be combined with civic or cultural activities, especially if recommended by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, or the hired experts. The Secretary may also set other rules after talking with those two leaders. The Secretary must hire experts to decide if the building’s architecture will be preserved and may approve the project only if those experts agree. The Advisory Council and the NEA Chairman help pick the experts. The experts can also suggest civic or cultural uses. Any grant cannot cover more than 80 percent of the conversion cost.