New Raleigh Union Station Bus Facility breaks ground downtown

At the corner of West and Martin Streets, developers are planning to create a state-of-the-art facility that they say will better connect the Triangle and beyond. Contractors broke ground on the facility Tuesday.

“It will serve tourists, commuters and workers who use Amtrak and passenger rail to come to our city,” Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said during the ceremony.

Key features will include six bays for passengers, two layover bays, waiting areas, passenger amenities, public restrooms, bike parking and access to Raleigh Union Station along Martin Street, according to GoTriangle. The plan will be to eventually accommodate a future GoRaleigh bus rapid transit station on West Street and regional passenger rail service.

Once the RUS Bus project is complete, officials said, people will be able to take an Amtrak or a commuter train to Raleigh and then switch to a bus to get to their final destinations. GoTriangle CEO Charles Lattuca said he expects thousands of people to use the new facility each month, once it’s open.

“The city is growing so fast; we really need projects like these and others in order to keep the city going and facilitate its growth,” he said.

RUS Bus began in 2018 after GoTriangle was awarded a $20 million U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant. State and local funds also support the project. Construction began on the 1.76-acre site in spring 2022 with remediation and demolition of three former warehouse buildings. The public transit facility is being funded by local, state, and federal funding and is estimated to cost approximately $40.7 million.

Additionally, developer Hoffman & Associates also have plans to transform the area around the facility. They’re calling it ‘Union West.’ Highlights of that development include:

•  Private parking garage with approximately 460 parking spaces.

President Shawn Seaman called the project “transformative.” Hoffman & Associates will finance Union West, which is expected to open in 2026 or 2027.

A portion of the warehouse facade was preserved to incorporate into the new development. Developers say this project is a part of a foundation for continued growth in Raleigh’s Warehouse District.