At the City Council work session this week, the consultants for the Northfield transit hub (WSB & Associates) reported on their assessment that ranked the Q-block as the highest of the three sites considered for the transit hub location. Some observers of the session have expressed concern about the implications the potential selection of the Q-block for the transit hub would have for the Save the Northfield Depot project.
Although the details would need to be worked out, Save the Northfield Depot is confident that the projects could exist on the same site in a compatible and complementary way. The depot project concept has always included a transportation center function, which was based on the public workshops and focus groups we held in 2010. The public indicated that a transportation center would be an important component of the multi-use site. Consequently, the draft site plans include the future addition of a building for potential use as a shelter for the transportation function.
The land transfer agreement signed with the City of Northfield indicated that Save the Northfield Depot would work cooperatively with the City and the Federal Transportation administration (FTA) if the Q-block was determined to be the best site for the transit hub. We are very excited about this potential cooperative opportunity to provide the community with a unique, valuable resource, one that can provide numerous amenities and serve many segments of the community in ways that one entity (the City, FTA, and Save the Northfield Depot) alone could not achieve.
Save the Northfield Depot 