The Utah Transit Authority broke ground on a new state-of-the-art maintenance and fueling facility for its fleet of clean air vehicles. The Depot District Clean Fuels Technology Center will be located at 600 S. 200 West and will allow UTA to expand bus service by housing up to 150 alternative and standard fuel buses to meet growing public transit needs.
The area has been used by various railroads for more than 100 years, and UTA is working to preserve the site’s history. A locomotive shop was built on the site in 1923 for the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad and is the oldest railroad building of its kind in the state. Rather than building a new structure, UTA has chosen to repurpose the historic locomotive shop into a new bus maintenance facility. The building will be reinforced to meet current earthquake safety standards, and features like the original brick and windows will be preserved.
“This is a historic landmark,” said UTA Project Manager Greg Thorpe. “It’s worth saving.”
The Depot District Clean Fuels Technology Center will replace the aging 45-year old Central Bus Garage. The garage is designed to serve a maximum of 90 vehicles and cannot be expanded due to a lack of available land.
The structure will be built to meet LEED green building standards and is expected to be complete by mid-to-late 2021. It’s part of a larger revitalization program planned for the Depot District neighborhood of Salt Lake City, which includes the addition of transit-accessible housing and shopping.