May 18, 2003 By Paul Sunyak 4 min read

The Fayette County commissioners and others held a press conference Friday to unveil schematic drawings and an artist’s rendition of what a $3 million ground transit center will look like when built on 4.3 acres at Connellsville Airport. The facility will include a glass-laden 20,000-square-foot main terminal and a separate 180-by-60-foot bus garage, according to project architect Michael S. Molnar, who joined commissioners Sean M. Cavanagh, Ronald M. Nehls and Vincent A. Vicites at the event.

Michelle Grant Shumar, director of the evolving public bus and van system known as Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation (FACT), said that 32 FACT vehicles owned by the county would be housed at the site.

FACT consultant Harold Jenkins added that the plan includes a maintenance facility that, for a fee, would allow tourism-related buses to be serviced, cleaned and parked. Having that ability will fill a void and boost tourism since no such facility currently exists, said Jenkins.

All three commissioners hailed the leap from conception to drawing board to impending construction as proof of a major accomplishment that required cooperation from many sources.

“What you’re really seeing here today is how county government has to work in order to make progress,” said Nehls, who noted that eight or 10 years ago “there was no (public) transportation in Fayette County.”

Cavanagh cited the big role that U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) played in procuring federal funds for the project, which Cavanagh said joins a new Emergency Management Services building and a planned runway extension as significant upgrades to the airport property.

“Our lobbying effort is really paying off,” said Cavanagh. “It’s just not going to be an airport. We want shops up here and restaurants.”

Vicites commended former U.S. Rep. Frank Mascara (D-Charleroi), who lost a redistricting-inspired re-election bid to Murtha last year, for his role in getting $1.8 million in federal funds in the transportation bill that expires this year.

“I think he deserves credit,” said Vicites, who noted that a lot of hurdles had to be jumped to get approval to build the ground transportation hub at the airport. “I really, truly believe this is the best location to put this,” he added.

Vicites said the airport is in the “dead center” of the county, equidistant from Uniontown and Connellsville, and is now on the cusp of being used for economic development per the commissioners’ long-range growth vision.

“It’s another accomplishment for the county,” said Vicites. “I can’t wait to throw some more dirt (at the groundbreaking). I’ll be smiling like I was in the paper the other day (at a similar event).”

Showing off his site plan drawings, Molnar said the piece of ground earmarked for the bus/van facility would be “very difficult to develop for any other purpose.” He said the plan, developed in conjunction with McMillen Engineering Co., took advantage of the natural slope and put the garage building in the rear, and thus essentially out of view. The main ground transit terminal, said Molnar, will serve as a “miniature airport terminal” and come with a canopy to protect riders and workers, who will be able to drive right up to the facility’s front door for drop-offs and pick-ups.

“This is a handsome, forward-looking building, with lots of glass,” said Molnar, who joked that Jenkins had asked him to make the separate-standing bus garage a couple of bays wider. “And I told him, ‘I’m sure you want to make it cheaper, too.'”

Shumar said the facility, which will be known as the Fayette County Transit Center, would not have moved forward without the assistance procured by Murtha, the expertise of consultant Quinn, and the unwavering support of the county commissioners and the Fayette County Airport Authority.

Three authority board members – Fred K. Davis, Tim Mahoney and Martin Griglak – attended the press conference. Griglak said the project backers “had to go through an awful lot” to gain approval to mix a ground transportation hub and an aviation facility.

Mahoney added, “I’m just happy to be seeing more dirt thrown around out here.”