GRTC Downtown Transfer Station

Greater Richmond Transit Company engaged Design Collective as part of a team led by HR&A Advisors to identify a future site and conduct preliminary test fits for a public-private partnership involving the Downtown Bus Transfer Station and transit-oriented development (TOD).

The study included assessing the current transit system’s structure and future expansion priorities, performing due diligence on potential sites for a transfer station, conducting a market analysis of identified sites (HR&A), preparing a preliminary/conceptual site plan, and identifying grant and TOD funding sources (HR&A).

Design Collective led site analysis and concept design, incorporating Richmond’s Downtown Plan, transit analysis and constraints, and joint development opportunities above or adjacent to the new transfer station. Informed by a bus/transit needs analysis by VHB, the plan includes a first-floor podium with 8 bus bays, a lounge and waiting room, and transit infrastructure and amenities; office and/or residential towers are placed above the transit podium.  Ground level retail, restaurants, and building lobby/amenity space activate 9^th, 10^th, and Clay Streets, linking City Center and the Convention Center to the VCU Medical Center Campus. The vision aims to create a catalytic development for downtown that integrates multimodal transportation with residential, office, and retail uses.

The team also supported two public engagement sessions with the community, transit riders, and local stakeholders in downtown Richmond, incorporating their input throughout the process.