Macatawa Area Express’ operations facility in Holland Township stores the public transit agency’s bus fleet. Courtesy MAX
The bus agency for greater Holland and Zeeland is opening up a $4.7-million operations facility to accommodate its growing ridership.
Macatawa Area Express will debut its 33,500-square-foot facility and bus garage at a public open house on Friday, from 1-3 p.m.
The facility is in Holland Township, at 11660 Greenway Dr.
MAX’s ridership has swelled to nearly a half-million riders in the past several years, and the agency has outgrown its previous Holland space on E. 24th Street.
Funding
The operations facility has been in the planning stages since 2004, when the first federal earmark grants were awarded for the project.
Federal funding covered 80 percent of the final project cost, with state funding making up the other 20 percent.
Vendors
The MAX operations facility was designed by DLZ of Lansing and built by Lakewood Construction of Holland.
All but one of the contractors and suppliers for the project are from Michigan.
All of the furniture and furnishings were purchased from Haworth through the MiDeal state contract.
Bus fleet
The bus garage can hold up to 28 30-foot buses, and the exterior bus port allows for the storage of eight more buses. That port will eventually be enclosed to allow for full inside storage of an entire fleet.
Energy-efficient design
The facility features several design features to improve functionality and building efficiency: angled roof lines to maximize snow and moisture runoff; tinted blue windows to reduce glare and heat; extensive daylight lighting; LED exterior lighting for energy efficiency and security; motion-activated sensors that turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied and a break room with an Energy Star refrigerator and tinted windows with solar shades.
Workspaces
The building design also provides employees with opportunities for greater efficiency. Several workstations are available in the facility, including four stations dedicated to field workers, four touchdown workstations for bus operators to complete paperwork and computer stations for bus operators and staff.
The facility includes a multi-purpose room for meetings and trainings that can accommodate up to 50 employees.
