Construction of a multimillion-dollar transportation facility that will house the Summit Stage’s electric vehicle fleet could begin as soon as next spring.

The roughly 76,000-square-foot transportation facility will provide electrification for the free Summit Stage bus system to go fully electric, Chris Guarino, a project manager for the developer ArtaicGroup, told the Summit County Commission on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

The three-story project is planned for construction at the Summit County Commons near Frisco. It is slated to include office spaces on the top floor, 10 one-bedroom units for transit employees on the second floor and a dispatch center and a bus bay on the first floor.

“We hope this is a great add to your portfolio of facilities in Summit County,” said Kristy Butchko, a project engineer with D2C Architects, which designed the project.

Construction on the transportation facility is expected to start as soon as next March and last about 16 months, with completion planned for mid-June 2026, Guarino said. The project is funded by a $34.8 million grant from the Federal Transportation Administration, with a 20% match from the Summit County government, or about $4.7 million, he said.

The bus bay is planned to be able to store 52 vehicles, including 36 buses and 16 paratransit and support vehicles, Butchko said. A rooftop solar system will also reportedly be included as part of the project to help offset energy needs at the facility.

Summit County Transit Director Chris Lubbers said that while the federal grant will cover a significant portion of the construction costs, it will not cover the construction of the workforce housing units on the site.

Housing costs for the project are estimated to be about $4.7 million, according to Summit County communications director Adrienne Isaac. That brings the total project cost to about $48 million.

Commissioner Eric Mamula said that the county should continue looking into whether any housing grants are available to help pay for a portion of the housing costs, which will otherwise have to be borne by the county government.

Like any project, the transit facility has encountered challenges including a fiber optic cable running through the site and other site constraints, Guarino said. But the facility remains on track with 90% designs expected in September and the team expecting to submit for a building permit the following month, he said.

Lubbers previously said that the workforce housing included in the project will be essential for retaining employees. The facility is also expected to provide improved bus storage and workspaces for employees.

Mamula also raised concern about “big snow shed events” from the roof of the facility that could raise potential safety issues and asked the design team to take the necessary measures to ensure the roof does not pose a danger in the winter.

Commissioner Nina Waters noted that while the county had looked into including a geothermal energy system at the site, an analysis found that there wasn’t a strong enough geothermal current in the area to support that.

Mamula called the transit facility, “A big win of a project.”