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Work has begun on the renovation and restoration of the old Oxford Train Station as it will soon become Spring Street Station, Oxford’s newest eatery and event venue.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site located at 50 Spring Street on Tuesday, Feb. 13, with a crowd of local officials and well-wishers on hand.

“It’s exciting to see this landmark restored and new life welcomed here,” said Historic Main Street Oxford director Hunter Gentry, who served as the event’s master of ceremonies.

City Council President Chris Spurling offered a prayer “to bless this new adventure” for local restaurateur Charlotte Hubbard.

“We’re always excited about business in Oxford – especially when it’s one of our own,” Spurlin said.

Hubbard said the project has been a decade in the making.

“Mayor [Leon] Smith and I went to a conference in Mobile in 2013,” Hubbard recalled. “One of the big things that came out of that was information about programs for historic buildings.”

She said Gentry later learned about Opportunity Alabama, an economic development organization focused on transforming Alabama’s communities through public and private investment in physical spaces and places.

“That was very important because they have been a driving force for this project,” Hubbard said. “Through their work, we have had a lot of partners brought into the project.”

Those partners include architect Jay Jenkins, the Southern Development Council, Southern States Bank, and McWhorter Construction.

Hubbard said she is working with the Alabama Historical Commission, which will assist in ensuring all the guidelines for renovating a historic building are followed “and make it like it was 100 years ago.”

She said Spring Street Station would be a restaurant and an event space with “high-end fast food” with a small outdoor amphitheater in the front area.

Mayor Alton Craft praised Hubbard’s efforts in helping to make the downtown area a better place.

“We are very proud of the type of business owner Charlotte is,” Craft said. “We also appreciate all of the business owners who have come to Main Street and grown this place.”

The Building’s unique history:
The East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia Railway constructed the Italianate-style depot and freight warehouse in 1884. It played a vital role in the development of Oxford’s economy in the transportation of cotton, iron, and people.

What to expect on the menu:
The food will be ‘up-scale fast food’ with items like gourmet burgers, hot dogs, and chicken wings, Alabama-brewed craft beer and a full bar.