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All that jazz

Old railroad station to be turned into jazz bar

The old passenger railway station along Fifth Street, south of Washington Street, will be turned into a jazz club in the future. (Journal photo by Jaymie Depew)

MARQUETTE — The old passenger railway station located along Fifth Street just south of Washington Street in Marquette will be revitalized as a jazz bar in the near future, says Karl Numinen, the building’s owner.

Numinen, a jazz enthusiast and local attorney, said he’s looking forward to the historic building coming to life as The Depot, Marquette’s new “performance venue.”

Currently, the blueprints are situated on a stand in the main room, showcasing the future of the building that’s been vacant since the early 1960s when passenger train rides in the Upper Peninsula came to a halt.

“It’s an iconic building that needs to be preserved because it’s part of Marquette’s heritage and I want to breathe life back into it,” he said. “Structurally it’s in wonderful shape and it’s a wonderful example of mid-century architecture … but there are some cosmetics we’ll have to work out.”

The Depot’s main room will provide a stage, piano and space for performances, where talking is discouraged. The building will also have a bar area with “soft seating” — where the baggage room used to be — for people to socialize and/or enjoy a drink. The room that was once the ticket booth area will be turned into a recording studio for artists to rent and use, as well.

Even though he’s partial to jazz, the venue could host any acoustic music, a piano recital, really “anything with a smaller intimate sound would be appropriate,” Numinen said. He hopes the venue will attract professional musicians from larger areas like Chicago and Detroit, as well.

Recently, more than 70 people were invited to the old station for a “test, pre-construction party” to see how the acoustics sounded and get a rough idea of how many people the building could host.

“At one point there was over 60 people here and I wondered where a lot of them went,” said Numinen.

As an avid trumpet player, Numinen has been inspired by talented musicians like Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis and Doc Severinsen, who Numinen said he’s “been fortunate enough to have met several times” throughout his life.

His biggest inspiration, however, is his daughter Hanna.

“Watching Hanna’s music career blossom — that’s been the biggest inspiration for doing this,” he said. “She’s a singer and an actress and is very involved in local productions.”

Numinen said he’s always wanted a recording studio and to record with his daughter, so he’s extremely enthusiastic about the project.

Even though opening an establishment can be a timely matter, The Depot could be opened as early as the end of summer. The rustic brick building has electricity now, which means the beginning phase has begun, Numinen said.

Jaymie Depew can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. All that jazz

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