Design Plans Approved for Westside Multimodal Transit Center in San Antonio
The Board of Directors of VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio have approved the plans of EE&K a Perkins Eastman company to construct the second phase of the Westside Multimodal Transit Center. The project, a 90,000-square-foot development, is expected to break ground in July of this year.
By Joshua Ayers, Senior Editor
San Antonio—The Board of Directors of VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio have approved the plans of EE&K a Perkins Eastman company to construct the second phase of the Westside Multimodal Transit Center. The project, a 90,000-square-foot development, is expected to break ground in July of this year.
“This will be the next great place for San Antonio, and not just for transit riders,” says Stan Eckstut founding principal at EE&K. “First and foremost, the plan for Westside Multimodal accommodates the site’s various transit elements, but the space is designed to draw people in for food, entertainment and leisure. We have designed a public square that will encourage future private investments and continue to revitalize the city’s Westside District.”
Eckstut and Associate Principal Jonathan Cohn AIA, LEED AP are heading the design team and the EE&K a Perkins Eastman company project team includes local architects Ford, Powell & Carson Inc., which is led by Principal Jay Louden AIA and Senior Associate Michael Guarino, as well as landscape architect Lawrence C. Clark ASLA, vice president of Bender Wells Clark Design.
When completed, the plaza will span an entire city block. It will be surrounded by a metal and glass Grand Canopy that will be equipped with a photovoltaic panel that will be used to generate electricity for the majority of the facility’s lighting. The interior of the plaza will include plantings of cedar elm trees and a permeable ground surface and underground detention systems that will be used to control storm water runoff.
The bigger picture for the Westside Multimodal Transit Center includes the harmonious blend of mass transit along with green spaces, mixed-use development, public art, educational signage and other sustainable features and services such as B-Cycle and future rail service.
The entrance to the plaza will be located at the corner of Houston and Frio Streets, adjacent the historic and newly renovated I&GN Station, which served as a major influence to the design of the plaza. The entrance will be marked by a planned “Light Tower” installation that has been designed by San Antonio artist Bill Fitzgibbons.
