Hunter
11/15/24
The City of Iowa City has begun a relocation project that will put its transit and equipment departments in one location.
The departments will be moved closer to the street departments and fueling facility, located just north of the Terry Trueblood Recreation Center.
The idea stemmed from the city’s 2015 master plan that included the goal of centralizing city services. The transportation and equipment facilities are currently in separate buildings on the same plot of land, and they’ve run out of room. Director of Transportation Services Darian Nagle-Gamm told the Daily Iowan there is so little room in the current transit facility that some buses have to be stored in the bus washing bays. She said the city can’t add any more routes because there is no room to store any additional buses.
The project will be completed in four phases, the first of which was approved by the City Council earlier this month. Newmann Monson Architects will be hired to provide architectural and engineering options.
Phase 2 includes narrowing down the options to one workable plan, and putting the project out for bid.
Phase 3, which is expected to start in 2027 or 2028, would be the actual construction of the facility. In the final phase, the city would either demolish the current transit facility or modifying it for a different use.
Estimated cost of the project is $30 million, subject to change depending on the design.