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WMATA Northern Bus Garage

This large scale project will restore the historic Decatur Street Car Barn from 1906 and incorporate it into a modern 3-level transit facility.

WMATA Northern Bus Garage

Client

Clark Construction

Owner

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Location

Washington, D.C.

Markets

Transit

Status

In Progress

Square Footage/Size

720,000 sf

Number of Floors

3

Subcontractors or Collaborators or Team or Contractors

Clark Construction

In 1906, the historic Decatur Street Car Barn, also known as Northern Bus Garage, was built to service the end of the 14th Street streetcar line. In 2013, it was listed on the National Register of Historic places. This project will restore the historic tower and administration building to preserve the existing Italianate façade, along with a roughly 700,000 SF addition. The new facility will incorporate the historic fabric and the new construction into one building.

Wendel, working with Clark Construction and STV Incorporated, is the new facility’s architect.

The historic structure will be repurposed for 27,500 SF retail and office space, while the new 700,000 SF building will be dedicated to WMATA. The new 3-level facility will provide storage for 75 40’ buses and 75 60’ articulated buses, along with indoor diesel fueling on the lowest grade level. The 14th Street grade level contains a 15-bay maintenance garage, WMATA operations and maintenance office space, and WMATA Police. Employee parking is on the roof.

The facility is designed to incorporate future pantograph chargers for a 100% battery electric bus (BEB) fleet. The new building is seeking LEED Platinum Certification and will have a green roof, a cistern to collect rainwater, and a solar array. The project is being delivered as a CMAR progressive design-build, with design team members working closely with the client and the contractor.