A preliminary approval was given Feb. 10 for a $404,000 grant to the Staples Historical Society for use in renovating and preserving the historic Staples Northern Pacific Depot.

The funds, which will not be available until 2013, are part of a $505,000 project. The historical society will have to provide a $101,000 cash match in order to receive the funding.

The money will be used to upgrade the depot building, which is 100 years old this year. Priority projects include updating the heating and installing air conditioning; updating the building’s plumbing system and updating the electrical system. Also planned are restoration of 52 windows and two doors, plus reconstruction of selected interior ceilings and walls.

The funding was approved Feb. 10 by the Region 5 Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and come from the federal Transportation Enhancement Act (TEA) program.

SHS members Tom Kajer, Mary Stangle-Hess and Tom Crawford made an oral presentation before the TAC group prior to the committee’s decision.  The group is chaired by Todd County Commissioner Mark Blessing and includes county engineers and other transportation specialists from Region Five counties.