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Greyhound executives have put their downtown Salem station up for sale, in preparation for a move to the local Amtrak station.

Alex Rhoten, the Coldwell Banker Mountain West Real Estate agent handling the 11,766-square-foot building, said the asking price is $965,000.

“It’s a downtown zone, so there are a lot of potential uses,” he said.

Timothy Stokes, a spokesman for the bus company, said he had little specific information about the plan. However, Rhoten confirmed that the move probably will take place in August.

“But that’s a moving target,” he said.

Speaking of moving, Greyhound stations seem to be switching locations across the country, Rhoten added.

“Greyhound is doing this in areas across the country – downsizing as people are finding different transportation options,” he said.

Rhoten said the downtown building was built in 1948 and needs renovations, including a new roof and an upgraded heating and air-conditioning system.

Greyhound buses will use the Amtrak station temporarily until a permanent bus depot is established at what is called Dixie’s Depot – the soon-to-be-renovated Railway Express Agency building next to the train station on 13th Street in Salem.

Renovation efforts by the Oregon Department of Transportation (the owner of Dixie’s Depot) and the city of Salem were kick-started by a $100,000 anonymous donation from a man whose late wife, Dixie, loved the old structure.

The building was part of Salem’s second train depot. Salem’s original station, built in 1871, burned down in 1885. The second station, a Queen Anne-style building, was built in 1889 and burned down in 1917.

The smaller “baggage depot,” as it was known, is a remnant salvaged from the fire. After the fire, it was moved 100 feet to the south of its original location and rotated 180 degrees. It was then used for freight handling by the Railway Express Agency and continued to be used for freight until the 1970s.

“Cool is what I would call it,” Rhoten said of the building. “It’s a perfect match for people catching the train or bus.”

Greyhound executives committed $60,000 to the $900,000 renovation project. Work on the project is expected to begin this summer and take approximately 18 months.