The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) recently broke ground on its new bus operations, maintenance and administration facility, known as the Depot District Clean Fuels Technology Center (DDCFT).

The facility will have the capacity to store, operate, maintain and service UTA’s current fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles, with room for future expansion. Global architecture and design firm Stantec provided project management, planning, architecture, interior design, lighting design and sustainable design on the project.  

The DDCFT will be located on the historic site that was formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad yard and will have the capacity for 135 buses in Phase I, with expansion to 256 buses in Phase II. Designed for easy vehicle entry and exit, the DDCFT will be an all drive-through maintenance facility, meaning that buses won’t be required to back up to enter and exit.

The historic “Locomotive” Building, built in 1923, is the oldest and largest railroad building of its kind in Utah. Despite its age, this unique 72,000-square-foot historic building will be adapted and expanded into the 80,000-square-foot bus maintenance facility. A new 25,000-square-foot two-story facility will house all administration and operations functions. UTA will strive to maintain and preserve the structural integrity of the existing structure, repurposing existing materials and structures where possible.

The project is targeting LEED Gold certification and will be constructed to achieve a variety of sustainable goals to reduce environmental impact and optimize performance. Among the sustainable features: installation of a 1.1-megawatt photovoltaic system, heated floors throughout the facility, the reuse of existing materials from the original structure, and the implementation of modern translucent glazing systems to provide natural daylight and reduce glare.

The project is expected to be completed in 2021.