Pine Hills Transfer Center...Closer To Becoming A Reality

It’s been eight years since site selection and due dili­gence started in 2012 to obtain FTA screening, ap­proval and funding grants for a long-needed commu­nity Lynx Transfer Bus Hub. Lynx purchased the property in 2017 from the Central Florida Urban League, which allowed for community design charrettes, conceptual designs and legal agreements to move forward. How­ever, it took a full year for the Urban League, Orange County and Duke Energy to come to an agreement!

Now the final design agreements are within reach and are planned for completion in November with review by Orange County and FDOT for permitting by the end of the year. Bids for Phase 1 site and con­struction are expected to begin in January of 2021 with awards in April. Construction will take 14 months with completion in 2022.

Initial funding allocations for 2021, including sitework, canopy and Pine Hills Trail, with one-half of the Belco/Silver Star improvements, are budgeted for $4,942,000. The remaining sitework, owner furnished items and roadway improvements total $1,821,000, with the building scheduled in Phase 2 for approxi­mately $1.3 million. The whole project is projected to tap out well over $8,000,000.

Changes were made to the initial conceptual plan providing more maintained green space within the power corridor. The proposed building footprint is approved for 50,000 square feet, but is considered a Phase 2 project. A driver restroom, breakroom and customer service counter are also planned for Phase 2. Planned improvements include the center bus platform with the approved waving canopy (like the one downtown at LYNX Central Station), with the abil­ity to berth 29’ to 60’ buses at 8 bus bays. The Pine Hills Trail is expanded northward through the site. It will start at Silver Star Road and go through the western side of the site. It then bears eastward at the northern end of the site going along the north side of Belco Road to Pine Hills Road.

The Center will also have CCTV with live feed, arts and cultural elements. When totally completed and operational, the Transfer Hub will add tremen­dously to the evolving Pine Hills Town Center vision!