Members of the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) gathered at the Emerson Park Transit Center to mark the official start of construction on the new, $13,584 Public Safety Center. The space will play a key role in further enhancing the safety and security of public transit – which remains a top regional priority.
The state-of-the-art, two-story, 16,000- square-foot facility will house the backup St. Louis Metro Transit Operations Control Center and the St. Clair County CENCOM West 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatch Center and will include office space for St. Clair County MetroLink Sheriff’s deputies. The goal of the new space is to help bolster communications and security collaboration among St. Louis Metro Transit, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, St. Louis Metro Transit Public Safety, the Bureau of Transit Police and other public safety partners. The building will feature improved rider amenities, including public restrooms for riders and operators of the transit system.
“This project is a critical public safety investment for east St. Louis, St. Clair County and the entire St. Louis metropolitan region,” commented Chair of SCCTD’s Board of Trustees and Director of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Herb Simmons. “It will bolster communications and security collaboration among Metro Transit, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, Metro Transit Public Safety, the Bureau of Transit Police and other public safety partners.”
The project is being funded by a $9,975 Rebuild Illinois grant received from Ill. Gov. JB Pritzker in January 2022, along with funding from SSCTD and Bi-State Development. It will be owned and operated by SSCTD. The project team includes FGM Architects, Poettker Construction, Southwestern Illinois Building Trades, BRiC Partnership, LLC and Kreher Engineering and Gonzalez Companies, LLC. Construction is expected to be completed in 2024.
“This project proves that public transportation can and will continue to serve as a catalyst for change in St. Clair County and, more specifically, east St. Louis, where new development and jobs have been absent for a long time,” said Ill. State Sen. Christopher Belt. I wanted to give a special thank you to Citizens for Modern Transit, AARP in St. Louis, SSCTD and Metro Transit for their work in 2021 to help transform the Emerson Park Transit Center as part of its Transit Stop Transformation projects.”
