MTA Needs Terminal Station for Federal Funding

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Federal funding is on the chopping block for the Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority, if the city doesn’t come to an agreement to give MTA, at least partial ownership of Terminal Station.

In November, macon city council tied the vote to transfer the building to MTA. CEO, Rick Jones, says he has big plans for the building.

“I’m not sure that we want to continue doing that if we don’t have a permanent structure here to where we have some ownership either in title to the building or in long-term leases,” says Jones.

The authority needs to have some type of ownership in the building to receive federal grant money. Instead of selling the building to MTA, Macon Mayor Robert Reichert says there’s another proposal on the table.

“It’s a long-term lease with the option to purchase at the end,” says Reichert.

The lease is 40 years. Jones says it’s not an ideal time-frame, but the government will accept this offer.

“It will be eligible for federal funding for 50% and then the other 50% would be funded through the authority’s budget from the city and the county,” says Reichert.

Right now, the city foots the entire bill when the building costs exceed the revenue. The bill will likely go up in 2013. Executive Director of Workforce Development, Dr. Kathy Thompson says rent is about $97,000 per year. The department is moving out in the beginning of the year.

“Once we lose one of our major tenants, then this building goes into the red… under the current situation, then the city incurs 100% of the red ink,” says Jones.

Reichert says per the orginal grant the city received from the FTA all revenue that is generated by terminal station goes back into transportation, so the city won’t be losing out in this new deal. Council will vote on the new proposal in January.