Officials to break ground on new Longmont transit center (9News)

The City of Longmont is set to break ground on a new transit center for the city on Friday.

City officials will gather for the groundbreaking ceremony at noon at 1st Avenue and South Main Street.

The new five-story transit center will have a bus station with 10 bus bays and about 700 parking spaces, bicycle storage and connections to the city's multimodal transportation network. The project will support the future Bus Rapid Transit service between Longmont and Boulder with planned infrastructure for the Front Range passenger rail, the city said.

Construction of the transit center is expected to finish by the end of 2027. In addition to the transit center, area redevelopment plans include extending Coffman Street between 1st and Boston Avenues, new housing and commercial development and the planned Front Range Community College campus.

Altogether the projects will help establish an new STEAM-focused district centered on education, workforce development, innovation, arts and marketspaces, according to the city.