Back to list January 17, 2018 Shippensburg Station Project Awarded Tourism Grant from Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation CUMBERLAND VALLEY, PA (January 16, 2018) – The Cumberland Valley Rails-to-Trails Council (CVRTC) was awarded a Tourism Product Development Grant from the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation (CAEDC). The grant will assist with the development of the Cumberland Valley Railroad Museum, housed in a historic 1956 Penn Central boxcar. “We are delighted to have been selected,” said Garret Stahlman, CVRTC president. “The generous funding from CAEDC will allow for the continued expansion of our Shippensburg Station project currently underway.” The site is at the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail trailhead, adjacent to Shippensburg University and just blocks from the community’s historic downtown. The $71,000 award, which requires a twenty-five percent local match, will fund an upgraded parking lot at the CVRT’s Fort Street trailhead, the cleaning and repainting of the boxcar, the building of a deck linking to the rail-trail, and the construction of the museum itself. When completed in summer 2018, the Cumberland Valley Railroad Museum will be open year-round for self-guided tours. The Tourism Product Development Grant is a rolling, matching funds program that can be used for the development of thematic trails/tours; technical assistance; asset, event or meeting/ conference expansion or development. “The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail is already an important tourism and recreation asset for the Cumberland Valley,” said Valerie Copenhaver, CAEDC Senior Director of Marketing & Tourism. “The creation of the railroad museum at Shippensburg Station will provide a signature destination, offering tourists and local residents an authentic experience of our region’s heritage.” To learn more about grant and low-interest loan options for tourism-related projects, please contact Valerie Copenhaver at 717-240-7193 or [email protected]. About CAEDC CAEDC is Cumberland County’s authorized agency charged with leveraging and promoting Cumberland Valley’s economic development and tourism assets to drive growth, create jobs and improve the quality of life. Offices are located at 53 W. South Street, Carlisle PA. For more information, visit www.cumberlandbusiness.com and www.visitcumberlandvalley.com.
