Historic South MS train depot transforms to a brew pub. ‘It’s a building worth saving’

THE SUN HERALD FEBRUARY 3, 2025 —

The train station still standing after 121 years needs major restoration before it can become a hub of activity again in downtown Pascagoula. “It’s a building worth saving,” said Coast developer Joe Cloyd, as he wanders the depot along Railroad Street, a block from Delmas Avenue and its restaurants, shops, hotel and new downtown housing. He’s partnered with Cam Roberds, owner of Chandeleur Island Brewing Company in Gulfport and C. Roberds General Contractors. Roberds’ construction company will repair the damage time and termites have wreaked on the 1904 depot. Then Roberds will open a craft brewery and restaurant inside the station. They haven’t decided yet on a name for the brew pub, Roberds said, but he and Cloyd have a sense of urgency. Amtrak passenger train service could return as soon as June, with trains arriving at the depot from Mobile, New Orleans and three other stops in Mississippi. The name of the new Amtrak line also hasn’t been announced yet, but Roberds said, “There definitely will be beers named after the trains.” The depot restoration is part of the Pascagoula Rail Line District, which Cloyd says includes 16 cottages being restored a block away. Together the two projects add to the “fun economy” of South Mississippi, designed to attract young professionals to the area and the downtown.

A Coast treasure

The train depot won a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and on Friday got a major facelift — not to make it look younger, but to extend its life. Crews used straps, rods and heavy equipment to “rack” the building, pulling it more level and square on its brick foundation. It’s a process Roberds described as “stressful and worrisome., since one wrong move could end the project. But it was necessary for the longevity of the building, he said.

The interior demo is already done and the original floors, doors and everything else that could be salvaged were saved to put back into the depot during the restoration, under the guidelines of the State Department of Archives and History.

“We’re hoping we get it done in about five months,” Roberds said. “We’ve got new brewing equipment coming.”

Arriving besides trains

Amtrak already built a new, accessible platform immediately off the depot’s original platform along the tracks, so it’s ready to go when the first train pulls into the station..

While the exterior renovations of the depot will return the look of the historic train station, the interior will be more updated, Cloyd said, and will make the most of the 14-foot ceilings, the original wainscoting and tall windows all around.

Sections of the floor will be reinforced to hold the equipment in the tap room, where the beer will be brewed and a dining area will extend along one side of the room, Cloyd said.. More seating will fill the neighboring tap room, he said, making a visit an experience for locals and passengers enjoying a drink, a snack or a meal.

Will the menu be the same as that served at Chandeleur Brewing in downtown Gulfport or the second location inside Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport?

“We don’t think so,” Roberds said. He’s a big supporter of local seafood and fishermen, he said, and he’d like to be able to see all local seafood dominate the menu.

The brewery will create and manufacture their own beer, kegging it on site, he said, since the building isn’t large enough for packaging. They’ll also bring in a variety of craft beer from local distributors.

Making connections

The return of Amtrak is a big part of the restoration of the Pascagoula depot, bringing people from New Orleans and Mobile to festivals and to enjoy the continued renaissance of Pascagoula’s downtown.

“I think it’s just a perfect scenario,” Roberds said. “The train stops in front of the Gulfport Chandeleur Brewing company as well,” he said.

In Pascagoula, “We’re modeling the design around the train depot and history of train service,” he said, and will use memorabilia they’ve found to create a connection to the depot’s past.

“It’s been an inspiring project,” Roberds said, and he is hoping others will share any pictures or memorabilia they might have.

There’s already a lot of interest in the restoration. “I’ve had several people stopping by,” said Steve Poynor, project superintendent for C. Roberds General Contractors.

Wooden benches saved from the depot’s past could find a new home in the courtyard the city and the developers are creating on the south side of the depot to connect the station with the downtown.

The restoration is a public/private partnership aided by about $1.5 million in funding from the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund and significant additional funding by the developers.

All aboard

“The city reached out to me three or four years ago,” Cloyd said, “and through the Redevelopment Authority encouraged me to come to a couple of meetings and see if I would work on a project they had.”

Pascagoula formed a focus group and asked young people who work in the city but live elsewhere, “What do we need to do in this community to encourage you to live, to not just work here, but live here too?”

They want better, nicer housing supply near downtown, Cloyd said, “and they talked about quality of life assets, and a brewery was mentioned.”

He purchased the train station and also the former Anchor Square, a group of Katrina cottages that had been used as a business incubator, and he is converting them to Cottages at the Depot long-term rentals.

The 16 cottages — eight 1-bedroom, eight 2-bedroom, one bath — were totally renewed with new kitchens, baths and flooring, said David Wilson, who is working on the project for Cloyd. All of the cottages are connected with a wooden deck and a swimming pool was added. Planter boxes and decorative metal railings and screens will add privacy and make the cottages more attractive, Cloyd said.

The cottages will be ready to rent starting March 1. Cloyd said. The first tenant is moving down from northern Mississippi, “but just likes the scene down here,” he said, “likes the proximity to the river and the water, walk to everything. He likes the downtown environment.”