CU governing board approves bus station site

The Board of Public Utilities, the governing board of City Utilities, last week approved a recommendation for CU to proceed with negotiations to acquire vacant property near College Street and Main Avenue for a bus transfer station.

During a closed meeting Sept. 27, the board passed the resolution with eight in favor, one not in favor and one abstention, according to a news release.

With approval from the board, CU will proceed with negotiations to purchase 2.7 acres of land owned by five companies and an individual - Cherry Prop Ltd., JM EC LORE LLC, Marguerite Lee, Nouvelle Realty LLC and SWDFOR LLC, according to the Greene County assessor's website. CU spokesman Joel Alexander has said there are no businesses at the site, but there is a vacant house that would need to be demolished if the property is acquired.

The board has allocated roughly $4.6 million in the current operating plan for the project. The Federal Transit Administration will have final say on property acquisition, the release said.

“We’re extremely hopeful that this location will be acquired for the transfer station. When completed, the new station will better serve public transit users for many years to come, and it will be a great addition for our community and the downtown area," CU General Manager Scott Miller said in the release.

CU began searching for a replacement for its McDaniel Street and Patton Avenue station in 2006, when the FTA provided $1.63 million in funding for the organization. The federal agency granted an additional $1.47 million in 2008. Alexander said the FTA hasn't given an expiration date for the funding.

Since receiving the funding, CU has been unsuccessful in securing sites in the north, east and south downtown quadrants.


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