ASHLAND — A long-awaited project to construct a new public transit facility in Ashland is now in motion.
Ashland lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved a contract with Simonson Construction Services for the design and construction of Ashland Public Transit’s new headquarters via the “design-build delivery method,” meaning Simonson will handle both parts of the project.
Ashland Public Transit operates out of the city’s Municipal Building and stores its fleet within the public parking lot at the 206 Claremont Ave. property. The future 14,500 square-foot facility will be constructed on city-owned property on the corner of Third and Union streets.
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said the contract with Simonson is around $2.4 million — $2,410,040 to be exact.
“We did get another bid and it was substantially higher, so this is the one that has been selected,” Miller told City Council on Tuesday.
Work on the project is estimated to begin this spring and conclude sometime in 2027.
Some expected features of the future headquarters include a small office space, along with indoor storage for Ashland Public Transit’s fleet of vehicles. It may also include a wash bay and a mechanical working area, according to previous Ashland Source reporting.
“I think it will be a good edition to the city’s services,” Miller said.
The mayor said Ashland was awarded a $1.9 million federal grant and a $175,000 state grant to help fund the project. He said he believes the city’s odds are also strong to land an additional $125,000 grant through the state’s Brownfield Remediation Program.
“We haven’t heard for certain about that one (Brownfield grant), but I would say we’re getting a pretty good deal. Because if you add up those numbers, they come dangerously close to covering the entire contract amount,” Miller said of the awarded grant funding.
Ashland Public Transit became a city department in January 2019. Rides are available by appointment Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The department is closed on Sundays and all holidays observed by the city.
