TRANSIT: City of Birmingham to replace downtown transit center

The Birmingham (Ala.) City Council approved a $2.57 million contract to build the infrastructure of a mass transit center in downtown Birmingham. The transit center will consist of the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA), Amtrak and Greyhound. City officials hope the center will attract business and revenue as well as stand as a gateway to the city.

A $23.6 million grant and $6 million from city tax revenues will fund the $29.6 million dollar building. Federal officials waived roughly $13 million in payback for the old building’s demolition, lowering the payback to $100,000.

The BJCTA will also construct an interim center to house all transportation during construction of the replacement, and does not expect any significant change to its transportation processes.

Current timelines expect the transit center to be completed by fall 2015.

Source: AL.com