Meeting Notes: KRT board tables $2.5M+ plan for new facility

What happened : Board members tabled a design plan for a new Operations and Management Facility for the public transportation agency. The plan alone would cost more than $2.5 million. Members expressed questions about funding sources and a desire to do more due diligence as their reason for postponing the vote.

Background : Lindsay Brownschidle, a representative with design management firm Wendel Companies, presented the proposal to board members on January 15. The plan originated from a 2022 facility assessment, which resulted in a recommendation for a new bus maintenance facility. The current garage is aging and in need of several costly repairs. Wendel originally completed 30 percent of the design management proposal for a cost of $1.4 million in early 2024. The project was then put on hold by KRT until more funding could be secured.

Latest proposal : The latest proposal, presented to KRT board members on January 15, outlines the plan to complete the remaining 70 percent of the project. Following approval of the design management plan, KRT will seek bids for demolition, construction, and related building work. If approved, Wendel would receive an additional $2.595 million plus $40,000 in expenses. The proposed project phases extend through a targeted completion date in late 2027, contingent on timely approvals and funding.

Grant funding : In November 2025, KRT officials announced that the agency had been awarded $21 million through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program — the largest grant in KRT’s history. The funds “will support the construction of a new, modern maintenance facility designed to enhance public transportation infrastructure across Kanawha County,” officials said in a news release at that time.

Project cost : During Thursday’s board meeting, KRT Executive Director Sean Hill said the entire Operations and Management Facility project was projected to cost $40 million, with approximately $30 million going towards the planning and construction of the new maintenance facility. Updates to the administration offices, as well as wash bays for KRT buses, were not included in the $30 million estimate.

Quotable : “This has been a project we’ve wanted for years, and we need to do it,” board member Todd Goldman said. “Our timing this month is proper because we‘ve got a lot of variables at play. But long-term, the status of that maintenance building is not suitable for any type of operation. In good conscience, as a board and administrative staff, I don’t see how you keep that facility and spend money that’s not going to be recovered and have employees in a building that’s not intended for.”

Proposal decision : KRT Board President Valerie Gainer echoed Goldman’s statement, expressing a desire for the panelists to hold off on a final decision to proceed with the proposal. “Obviously, this is something that’s been on our plate for a while,” Gainer said. “We want to move forward. But we might want to spend a little more time figuring out due diligence, and some of the financial questions that are up in the air, before we hit play on moving forward with this.” Gainer then suggested the board table the motion until they “have some more information on potential funding sources.”

Title VI Plan update : Also during the Jan. 15 meeting, board members voted to adopt the agency’s revised Title VI Plan. The plan, which is meant to keep agencies in compliance with the federal Civil Rights Act, is a legal requirement for all transportation services that receive federal funds. Plans are updated on a three-year cycle. KRT’s latest update includes amended census data and includes a list of the agency’s public outreach endeavors, which include collaborations with Westside Together, UC Student Education, and others. “We have ramped up how much we get out in the community exponentially,” Hill, KRT’s executive director, told board members before they unanimously voted to adopt the revised plan.

What’s next : The board will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.