(Alexandria, VA) The Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) held the Grand Opening Ceremony and Dedication of its new $35 million, 160,000 square foot, DASH Maintenance, Operations, and Administration facility on Saturday, November 21. Approximately one hundred City and State officials, community leaders, DASH riders, and employees attended the event. Speakers included the Honorable Mayor William D. Euille; Paul R. Abramson, Chairman, ATC Board of Directors; James K. Hartmann, City Manager; John Komoroske, Chairman, Alexandria Planning Commission; Charles Badger, Director, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation; Bill Williamson, Regional Vice-President, First Transit, Inc.; and Sandy Modell, General Manager, Alexandria Transit Company.
Mayor Euille remarked that “this new state-of-the-art facility will enable DASH to expand its vehicle fleet in response to the City’s need for more public transit services.” Mayor Euille also noted that the City used State Urban funds to pay for the construction of the facility. “Typically, these funds have been used to build roads. The City of Alexandria decided instead to invest $35 million of several years of allocations to build this facility, which is a first in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
The DASH Facility project has been a real leader in the State in other ways too. The project was the first transit facility in Virginia to be constructed using the design-build method of delivery. The facility construction was designed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating. And, the facility was completed on-time and below budget.
A dedication was held as part of the ceremonies, where the name of the new facility was unveiled on the building. The new DASH Facility is named after William B. Hurd, the first and former Chairman of the ATC Board of Directors for 23 years. Hurd was instrumental in the planning, design and implementation of the DASH system, and provided the transit system and the City with unparalleled leadership and vision.
