POULSBO — Kitsap Transit’s long-planned bus maintenance facility at its North base in Poulsbo moved closer to construction Tuesday, when the agency’s board approved two contracts. Poulsbo Mayor Ed Stern said residents can get their questions answered at an open house Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Poulsbo bus transfer center.
The board awarded a $3,000,001 construction management contract to HNTB Corp., chosen from six firms that applied. Service and Capital Development Director Steffani Lillie said the contract will cover the roughly 24 months of construction, including inspections and commissioning of the facility’s heavy equipment. She said it came in “just under our estimate.”
The board also approved a $599,405 change order to keep designer TCF Architecture on as architect of record during construction. That brings TCF’s contract to $2,452,601. Lillie said the work was an option in the original contract.
The 23,000-square-foot facility will have five heavy-duty maintenance bays and electric-bus charging. Right now buses on North Kitsap routes are driven to Kitsap Transit’s Charleston base in Bremerton for repairs, according to the agency. The project won a $17 million federal RAISE grant in 2024, shared with the purchase of five double-decker electric buses. The 2027 budget includes $29.7 million for construction and construction management.
Stern, who made the motion on behalf of North Kitsap, said he and Executive Director John Clauson will host the Nov. 14 open house to explain the project. “So many new residents have moved in since we last conducted that process because of the delayed federal funding,” he said. “For some, it’s a new project, so to speak, and we want to be responsive.”
Both contracts passed on voice votes with no opposition.
Leave a Reply