Work is set to begin Mon., Mar. 27 on a six-month project at the Nia Center including repaving a TARC bus turnaround and passenger shelter area behind the building.
When the project is completed, the Nia Center, at 2900 W. Broadway, will provide “a safer, easier and more attractive experience for TARC passengers and everyone who visits the Nia Center,” said J. Barry Barker, executive director of TARC.
The exterior Nia Center improvements complement a new TARC customer service center inside the building that opened late last year, Barker said. The Nia Center also houses driver’s license renewal and vehicle registration offices as well as a Kentucky Career Center of KentuckianaWorks, a Louisville Metro agency.
The Nia Center has not had major upgrades to the exterior since it opened more than 20 years ago. During construction, ample parking will remain behind the building, and all offices inside the building will remain open.
Five TARC routes stop at the Nia Center, a major bus transfer point. Passengers normally catching a bus behind the building will be directed to stops close by on Broadway near 29th during the construction. Routes impacted are: #19-Muhammad Ali, #21-Chestnut St.; #23-Broadway; #25-Oak St.; and #99-West Louisville/UPS.
“TARC service will not be disrupted,” Barker said.
The improvements include new paving around the bus turnaround and shelter area, and new shelter roofing and lighting. A new cross walk will improve safety and access to the rear entrance of the Nia Center. Pedestrian access will also be added to the west side of the building. Other improvements include enhanced passenger waiting areas with new benches and landscaping. In front of the building, two shelters will be repaved as part of the project.
The $1.2 million project is paid for with capital improvement funds through the Ohio River Bridges Project.