King County Metro South Campus

Project overview

Vanir is supporting King County Metro (Metro) towards achieving a fully zero-emissions fleet by 2040. As one of the 10 largest transit agencies in the U.S., it has started building new facilities with large‐scale electrical charging infrastructure and developing information technology solutions for charge management and route planning.

Metro’s first focus is on its South Campus projects, which include the South Base Test Facility and Interim Base. Vanir is providing owner’s advisory and project and construction management services for Metro, including third party commissioning, review/analysis of cost estimating and scheduling, and inspection services.

  • Test Facility: The project involved the construction of a 13,910-square-foot charging facility for 40 battery-electric buses (BEBs). It included the installation of new primary electrical services, electrical and communication duct banks, and civil/structural/electrical components for charging infrastructure. The facility also serves as a hub for the development of training and maintenance practices and for sharing Metro’s industry leadership insights. (Completed in 2024)
  • Interim Base: The project will convert the South Interim Base into a 543,901-square-foot BEB charging facility. This includes the installation of new primary electrical services, electrical and communication duct banks, and civil/structural/electrical components to provide the infrastructure for the charging stations and charge management systems to support 120 BEBs.
 
 
 
Tukwila, Washington
King County Metro
Architect

Various

Contractor

Various

Square Footage
South Base Test Facility: 13,910 SF; Interim Base Electrification: 543,901 SF
Construction Cost
South Base Test Facility: $7.3 Million; Interim Base Electrification: $70 Million
Start Date
South Base Test Facility: 2021; Interim Base Electrification: 2023
Completion Date
South Base Test Facility: 2024; Interim Base Electrification: 2026