Trolley Museum Relaunches Improvement Campaign

East Haven CT

26 April, 2021

12:39 PM

Description

EAST HAVEN, CT —The Shore Line Trolley Museum relaunched its "Vision 2020" infrastructure-improvement project Saturday at an event that featured museum board members, longtime volunteers and several local politicians. The campaign had previously been put on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic. According to a release, the project is designed to address infrastructure-related projects, while also strengthening the short and long-term finances of the museum. The trolley museum's collection of street railway vehicles and the existing mile and a half long segment of the Branford Electric Railway are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum was awarded a $1.5 million Urban Act Grant from the State of Connecticut to bring water and sewer into the Branford Campus, and there is hope the campaign will help match those funds. The campus upgrade will fortify buildings with fire protection, provide restrooms and water fountains and help the museum make other necessary improvements to infrastructure. The project will involve civil engineers, architects, fires suppression experts and design engineers. John Proto, executive director of the Branford Electric Railway Association and the Shore Line Trolley Museum, said the phase of improvements and constructions would be the biggest undertaking at the museum since the 1950s. Though the museum was incorporated in 1945, Proto said much of its current infrastructure was built between the 1951 and 1970, and therefore in the need of improvement. "This project is not about water, sewer or fire protection, it's the reality of a dream that was conceived (many years ago)," Proto said. "Through member, donor and corporate support, it will allow badly needed infrastructure enhancements to our old campus, public restroom facilities, barn and track repair and the eventual relocation of our car maintenance facility to a brand new building. At the end of this phase, we'll have a large, well-lit, ventilated display barn for our visitors." "Vision 2020" is expected to build on the museum's "Elevating the Collections" campaign, which was designed to raise the trolley collection above the flood plain in order to steer clear of damage from storms. Several of the museum's trolleys were damaged and the foundation below the tracks washed away in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy. Saturday's program featured several speakers including: State Representative Robin Comey, U.S. Rep. Rose DeLauro (D-CT-03) and former State Senator Len Fasano, who is also the honorary chair of the "Vision 2020" campaign. The event featured politicians and members of the Development Committee, Construction Committee and Board of Trustees donning hard hats and putting shovels in the ground to kick off the project. Fasano spoke about how important the museum is to people in the area, and called for support of the fundraising campaign. "When you hear from the volunteers and you talk to people, the enthusiasm and the love they have for this facility in unmatched in many areas around the country," Fasano said. "So, let's make this happen. A year from now, let's cut the ribbon, let's have a surplus and let's go from there."