CityLink Hosts Groundbreaking Event on May 26

CityLink hosted a groundbreaking event on May 26, 2022 to celebrate the upcoming construction of its new three-story maintenance/operations/administration building (Phase B).  This phase of the project also includes the demolition of its 1978 bus maintenance garage facility and the construction of new employee and visitor parking.  According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), CityLink’s original bus maintenance facility is one of the oldest bus maintenance facilities in the State of Illinois.  During the event, remarks were made by representatives from CityLink, IDOT Transportation Secretary Omer Osman, representatives from Muller & Muller, Ltd. and River City Construction, LLC.

“We are thrilled to officially kickoff Phase B of CityLink’s new maintenance, operations, and administration facilities construction and rehabilitation project.  This is a highly anticipated project, and we are excited to finally break ground on a facility that will see most of our staff located in one building.  It will also improve the overall operations, maintenance and safety of the transportation services we provide.”

CityLink General Manager Doug Roelfs.

Design and updated technology features of the new three-story building include:

• Ten pull-through maintenance bays – one with overhead crane and eight with lifts
  • Safer operation, reducing the amount of reverse bus movements
• State-of-the-art maintenance operations, ensuring better reliability
• New full-amenity operators day room, with direct interior access to the bus storage garage via new skywalk
• New training center with a dedicated classroom and separate simulation training room
• New administration center with board room
• Access to natural light and exterior throughout – for employee wellness
  • All glass garage doors in the maintenance shop
  • New three-seasons rooms with movable exterior wall (post pandemic enhancement)
  • Two new balconies for staff breaks, etc.
• Photovoltaic panels to generate solar energy
  • Estimated that 40% of the energy used by the building will be produced by new solar system
• Permeable pavement in the employee/visitor lot, reducing stormwater water runoff
• Energy efficient construction and equipment through-out
• Safer operations – visitor/employee parking will be separate from bus operations with a dedicated building entrance for visitors at upper-level parking
• Efficient operations – most employees will be under one roof to improve internal communications will eliminate the need to walk across the parking lot

Funding for this project includes: $8 million grant (2022) and $12.4 million grant (2020) from IDOT as part of the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program, with an additional $6 million from IDOT as local match support funding; $10 million grant (2020) and $3.6 million grant (2018) from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program.

“A safe, accessible transit system connects people to jobs, school, medical care and other essential services. Under Gov. Pritzker’s historic Rebuild Illinois capital program, we are working with our local partners to make investments in transit and deliver projects that will improve this vital service and strengthen communities throughout the state.”

Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman

Those in attendance were invited to tour the recently completed new paint/body shop, which was Phase A of this project.  This facility features a brand-new paint booth with advanced technology and improved employee safety.

Muller & Muller, Ltd. serves as the Architecture and Engineering (A&E) firm and River City Construction, LLC. serves as the construction manager at risk for this project.

Demolition of the 1978 facility is expected to take four to five weeks, and the construction of the new maintenance/operations/administration building and parking is expected to be completed in summer 2023.  Phase C of this project includes renovation of south storage building (currently utilized as a maintenance and operations dispatch facility), and Phase D includes construction of the annex between the new maintenance/operations/administration building and the south storage building.  Phases C and D are expected to be completed in December 2023.