Project Name:
The Rapid Central Station

Owner:
Interurban Transit Partnership, Grand Rapids, MI

Design Team:
Architect - Progressive AE Construction Manager - The Christman Company

• The design consists of two parts: the platform and the building. The platform is a one-acre (80 feet by 540 feet) public plaza surfaced in patterned concrete, brick pavers, and porcelain ceramic tile with a snowmelt system throughout.
• The platform is covered by a flowing 1¼ acre (100 feet by 560 feet) teflon-coated, tensioned-membrane canopy that protects patrons from the elements and provides the facility with its iconic image.
• 20% increase in ridership after completion of the new station
• The “Outstanding Transit System” award from the America Public Transportation Association (APTA)
• First LEED-NC certified Mass Transit Facility in the country
• Sustainable building features include recycled glass in the terrazzo flooring; heat island mitigation through landscaping and canopy shading; an enormous cantilevered prow that shades the glass-walled waiting area; porous paving; showers and changing rooms for bicycle-commuters; and the first green roof to be installed on a transportation facility in the United States.