The future of Bakersfield's historic Sumner Station remains uncertain after City Council reached a compromise Wednesday night, choosing to continue lease negotiations with Union Pacific rather than terminate the agreement immedi ately.Built in the late 1800s, Sumner Station has been at the center of a heated debate between preservation advocates and city officials concerned about liability issues. Union Pacific, which owns the depot, has previously explored demolishing the structure.Several residents spoke during public comment, urging council members to preserve the historic building and invest in its renovation potential for Old Town Kern."Don't demolish the site, demolish mindsets that destroy hope for equality of services for all of the city's residents. Let's keep hope alive," one resident said.Another resident highlighted successful adaptive reuse projects across California."Across California historic depots have been adaptively reused into cafes and event spaces, visitor centers, and small business hubs that activate downtowns and catalyze reinvestment," they said.City staff presented two options: continue leasing the depot from Union Pacific for another year or terminate the lease altogether. Officials noted that since the city took over management in 2021, Union Pacific has been difficult to communicate with, hampering long-term lease negotiations and project development.Council Member Zack Bashirtash expressed frustration with the ongoing challenges."It's an extreme liability from a business owner; it puts our city in a really tough spot," Bashirtash said.Councilmember Andrae Gonzales, who has led preservation efforts, pushed back against viewing the building as a burden."I've visited so many other cities, even in the Central Valley where communities have taken a different route. Where they saw these old historic structures not as a liability, but they saw them as assets," Gonzales said.The compromise directs city staff to continue negotiations and return to council at least 30 days before the lease's automatic renewal on June 24. If talks remain stalled, terminating the lease remains an option."And we need to communicate to them that we're serious now and this is the end," Gonzales said.Council members unanimously voted to revisit the topic in several months with an update from city staff. For now, Sumner Station will remain standing, though its long-term future remains unclear.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less