High Valley Transit launched in January 2021 as a special service district of Summit County designed to bring transportation services, and solutions, to the Wasatch Back.Since then, staff have been focused on building the transit district from the ground up — providing 3.5 million rides in three years. But now that High Valley has reached cruising speed, it’s considering the best ways to sustain its success, build permanence and ensure the long-term vitality of the organization.A major component of that goal involves moving operations out of the large white tent erected in the Ecker Hill park-and-ride more than two years ago and into a new headquarters on an 8-acre campus near Home Depot on U.S. 40. The three-building facility was originally expected to be finished in late 2023 after the groundbreaking in October 2022, but construction delays pushed the opening by more than a year.A new occupation date has been set for February or March 2025, marking what’s expected to be the start of improved and expanded services.“Launching a transit district is no small task. It’s a huge effort to get a hold of buses and mechanics and drivers and space and put together routes,” said Chief Development Officer Gabriel Shields. “To date, the lion’s share of the effort was focused on operations, and then the other side of our agency really has kind of focused on capital.”Machinery and piles of gravel sit at the construction site for the new High Valley Transit headquarters. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordShields started with High Valley Transit in February after working as a transportation engineer for Park City Municipal for two years. His job is to deliver a $150 million capital program, including the S.R. 224 Bus Rapid Transit project and the new headquarters as well as the purchase of new buses or other assets to improve rider comfort.If Summit County decides to partner with Dakota Pacific Real Estate to build a new transit center in Kimball Junction — or if High Valley Transit wanted to build one elsewhere, like Wasatch County — Shields would also be involved in that.High Valley Transit’s new headquarters will support its mission of moving the Wasatch Back forward with sustainability and innovation by creating a 17,000-square-foot shop with space for maintenance work such as tires, parts, fluid storage and a bush wash facility, an 18,000-square-foot administrative building with the second floor dedicated as employee housing and a 31,000-square-foot garage with enough room for 24 buses.It was estimated to cost around $27 million in 2022, but the expenses increased by $2.7 million when crews encountered bedrock during construction. They had to blast the material rather than excavate it to flatten the ground, pushing the 18-month timeline back several months. The scope of the project also changed to include nine apartments for High Valley Transit drivers and electric vehicle charging capabilities, pushing the total price tag to about $46 million. “It is absolutely no secret that it’s super hard to find a good workforce in Summit County. I think that High Valley has those same challenges that you know, there are a lot of really good, high-paying jobs out there, and sometimes money doesn’t buy everything you need. ” Shields said. High Valley Transit Executive Director Caroline Rodriguez considered how to build community, and opted to spend more on the headquarters if it meant housing nine drivers. After all, that’s one piece to solving the traffic puzzle.High Valley received around $8 million in state and federal funds to help construct the new headquarters as well as a discretionary grant for several low- and no-emission vehicles. The Board of Trustees previously approved borrowing up to $18 million against sales tax revenue bonds to pay for the project on its own, if necessary.GSB architects designed the facility, while Big D Construction handled the groundwork. Once the ground was flat, work started on the eastern portion of the parcel where a tilt panel building resembling a warehouse sits. That will be the bus storage facility, which is nearly finished. There’s minimal activity in the building as crews put on the finishing touches such as painting and installing light bulbs.The maintenance building, which is concrete masonry, sits in the middle of the new High Valley Transit campus. Construction crews are still finishing work on the building but expect it to be occupied by early next year. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordThe maintenance building, which is concrete masonry, sits in the middle of the lot. It was designed to serve High Valley’s fleet of buses, but Shields said the transit district also realized it needed a different type of space for its smaller vehicles such as microtransit. The walls, roof and floors are in, just leaving crews to establish mechanical connections throughout the facility.The steel-framed administrative and driver housing site is at the corner of U.S. 40 and Sego Lily Drive. This building is in the earliest stages of construction with a flurry of activity. Crews recently finished hanging drywall to close in the employee housing. The one-bedroom apartments have a living room and bathroom, plus a shared common area outside of the unit.There’s also a large window in the administrative area downstairs, which is likely to be the spot for many family-style lunches at High Valley Transit. Currently, they eat around tables in a trailer.Shields said the final component of the project is making site improvements such as installing utilities, parking canopies, trash enclosures and fencing as well as moving dirt. He estimated that 70 to 80 people are working on the job site now, but there were around 150 in the peak of the summer.High Valley Transit is also embarking on a short-range planning effort to help drive the future of transit services over the next five years. The transit district is considering how to address gaps in service and improve productivity. High Valley Transit was behind schedule on construction in June. However, the transit district now expects it will occupy its new headquarters in early 2025. Credit: Park Record file photo by David JacksonFor example, the 109 Snowball Express from Jeremy Ranch to Park City Mountain is launching Dec. 8 and other improvements are planned in the 2025 budget.The post High Valley Transit on track to open new headquarters in early 2025 appeared first on Park Record.