The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and Kent, Ohio-based Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA) signed a grant agreement providing $20 million in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) funds that will allow work to go forward on the Kent Central Gateway Multimodal Transit Center.

The U.S. DOT announced the selection of $1.5 billion worth of TIGER grants for 51 projects as part of the one-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on February 17. The Kent Central Gateway Multimodal Transit Center is the first transit project to be funded under the TIGER program.

The project is part of an overall plan to redevelop downtown Kent using $80 million in public and private funds. The 325,000 square foot multimodal center will include a 10-bus transfer facility, bike lockers, kiss-and-ride area, indoor passenger waiting area, information booth, city-funded parking spaces, transit parking, retail shops,  and restaurant and office space.

The center will use solar panels, geothermal technology and other green building methods in support of a LEED Silver Certification goal.

The new multimodal, regional facility is expected to be completed in October 2012.