CARBONDALE — Progress continues to be made in the construction of the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station in Carbondale.
Work is currently being done on the exterior of the building including laying bricks around the walls and preparing the interior for electrical units.
The station is on track for completion in late September or early October, which will mark the end of Phase One of the project.
Along with serving as the new train station for Amtrak in Carbondale, it will also be a transit hub for buses under the Jackson County Mass Transit District banner.
“It will be great to have that hub, that one spot where all of this transportation can come through,” Carbondale public relations officer Eva Fisher said.
The station will also have areas for Amtrak employees to stay between shifts, as well as community workspaces and office spaces available for rent. There will also be resources available for the workforce to help with job-searching and resume-building.
The city of Carbondale plans to host a ribbon cutting event once the station is complete, highlighted by the burial of a time capsule to commemorate the city’s 150th anniversary.
“We’re really excited that we’re going to get to honor these milestones within this time capsule, and have something to show generations later,” Fisher said.
Phase Two will include removing the current Amtrak station and extending the new multimodal station into that space. The projected timeline for completion of Phase Two is next spring or summer.
The extended building will include offices for city and SIU employees. The Carbondale Tourism and Special Events office will be housed in the station, in addition to a welcome center hosted by SIU.
“As guests and students get off the train, they’ll have a hub of resources right there and people to talk to about what’s available in Carbondale,” Fisher said.
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