Bradenton’s Buses Are Getting Fancy Digs

A bus transfer station is typically known more for function than form. But a new transfer station in downtown Bradenton was designed to reflect the city's renaissance.

“We wanted to have a distinguished, architecturally attractive building,” said Bradenton Planning Director Tim Polk. “One that would generate interest as well as ridership.”

The new transfer station is expected to be completed in the spring and construction has progressed in recent weeks.

“We had some big structures installed in the past couple of weeks,” said Project Manager Charlie Woehle. “It’s going to look pretty cool.”

The building occupies a full city block bounded by 12^th and 13^th Streets between Sixth and Eighth Avenues. It is budgeted to cost about $1.5 million. It was approved by a narrow 3-2 margin by the Bradenton City Council last April.

Construction started last June, and should be wrapped up in late April or early May, Woehle said. “And it’s on budget.”

The facility will serve as a downtown hub for Manatee County Area Transit buses. Currently MCAT buses congregate in a swarm around the courthouse, with the attendant congestion, fumes and noise. As renovations began on the historic courthouse city and county officials began discussions to relocate the transfer station.

The new transfer station will have shelters for the buses, shade for the passengers, public bath rooms, a ticket office and even a small room for drivers to change clothes.

Polk said the building was designed soon after the city completed it’s form-based building code.

“It conforms with the public art requirement, for example,” he said. “It’s architecture, materials and finishes are all in keeping with our form-based code.

“It will promote pedestrian traffic, and possibly serve as the basis for a transit-oriented development downtown,” he added.

From Woehle’s point of view, the code is important, but he’s excited about how it will look.

“There are lots of different architectural features to tie it all together,” he said. “It’s quite a jewel, with shadows and art and colors. It is nothing like what’s in front of the courthouse now.”

Once construction is completed, it will take a while for MCAT to reorient its operating schedules to use the new transfer station. The facility will be under 24-hour video surveillance, and be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.