Rapid Central Station

Rapid Central Station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which opened on June 14, 2004, is the first LEED-certified transit facility in the country. Built with a number of green features and strategies, Rapid Central Station represents cutting-edge technology paired with solid design to provide passengers with a transfer hub that is both functionally sound and environmentally responsible.

The LEED certification process was very much in the minds of Progressive AE, the architectural firm that designed Rapid Central Station. The station itself is located on a designated brownfield, which also contributed to the LEED score. The redevelopment and remediation of the station site is only one of a number of new and renovated buildings along the southwestern edge of downtown Grand Rapids.

 

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Project Name:
The Rapid Central Station

Owner:
Interurban Transit Partnership, Grand Rapids, MI

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

 Information:
  • 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.

Mission: To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, in a way that improves the quality of life in West Michigan.