Owners lose Centerville Depot

It’s a tale as old as time, a classic love story where boy meets girl and they live happily ever after. Or, in this case, at least for 25 years, at which point they are tossed to the curb by the city they have worked hard to promote their entire lives.

Dirk and Lisa Lorenz have been operating out of the historic Centerville Train Depot since its restoration and grand opening in 1999; he with Fremont Flowers, a business which originated in the depot in 1956 and he bought in 1984, moving it to several locations throughout the city before selling it in 2024, and she with the Depot Diner/Cafe, the quaint food joint inside the station.

The train depot became their castle, she the cook and he the caretaker. It’s where he proposed in 2000, sealing their love in the form of a Christmas wreath hanging above the bar, where many birthday celebrations and special events were soon to take place. Deeply involved with the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and Niles Rotary Club, they lived by the rotary motto: service before self.

The couple would proudly show off the station at Depot Days and through historic home tours. Dirk’s love of history made him the perfect tenant for such a unique building, which he adorned with historic memorabilia, preserving Fremont’s story. He covered his office with photos depicting Centerville life as it used to be, including one showing a group of packing shed workers circa 1948—on site before the depot became a depot—including his grandfather, grandmother, mother and great grandmother.

In 2022, the two were joined on the lease by Wendell and Timothy Velilla, who became the new operators of the renamed East Bay Cafe, quickly generating a loyal fanbase for their special Filipino menu.

Given the long history of the Lorenz family with the depot, it was a surprise to everyone when, at a June 16 council meeting, the City of Fremont did not renew their lease, but instead awarded a five-year lease to a new operator, Zabihullah Akrami, whose successful proposal sent the Lorenzes packing.

Everyone agreed it was an open and fair process. While the matter was originally on the May 12 agenda, the council postponed their vote until June in order to hear testimony from all sides. What emerged was drama of the highest order. Said Councilmember Kathy Kimberlin, “Centerville is my district, and I’ve never experienced anything like this.”

Amidst the finger pointing, several lease infractions have come to light, including the East Bay Cafe operating under reduced hours, subleasing and giving homeless individuals shelter in exchange for employment. Wendell Velilla admitted to selling the business to Akrami in 2025—who ran it for six months—in order to pay off debts, without city permission.

When the health department refused to approve Akrami’s license because his name was not on the lease, he sold the property back to Wendell. At this point, the city decided to issue a new Request For Proposals (RFP).

Also at play is the Centerville Train Depot Plaza Improvement Project, funded by a $1.5 million Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Grant, which aims to “improve active transportation access for ACE [Altamont Corridor Express] and Amtrak train riders and revitalize the plaza as a community gathering and event space.”

In addition, an affordable housing project called the Centerville Plaza Apartments is being considered by the city. It would provide 290 units immediately adjacent to the depot plaza by spring of 2028.

The city has admittedly fumbled their way through some of this, calling into question the entire leasing process. Said Real Property agent Ian Champeny, “What we’ve learned is that there needs to be a better auditing process throughout the terms of the lease, and we need to clearly define what our expectations are from the beginning, issuing more warnings should there be mishaps along the way.” 

Champeny also admitted that they are hoping to lease the space to one tenant, as opposed to separating out the office and cafe, and that they seek a partner who can help “activate the inside and outside space,” define what programming to employ and to market and schedule events.

With all eyes now on Centerville, the city’s impartial scrutiny has become too much for Dirk and Lisa. There is nothing new to many of the city’s requests. Creating a gathering space for the entire community is what they’ve been doing all their lives.

When the pandemic hit and ACE traffic plummeted, nobody paid much attention to that sleepy train depot, the last of its kind. Supposedly the only No. 23-style Southern Pacific depot currently operating as an active train station. With the decline of paper tickets (the station issues an average of seven per day), and a new station being proposed in Ardenwood to handle ACE traffic, this might be the end of an era.

The wheels of progress move ever forward, around and around again. Perhaps the city is looking for a fresh start, to wipe the board clean. Tri-City Voice founders William and Sharon Marshak, who knew Dirk and Lisa and encouraged them to get together, would probably have something to say about all of this.

My guess: “More of the same…”