CLIENT
METRO

BUILDING AREA
28,000 SF; 167 Bus Berths

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The METRO Buffalo Bayou Midday Lot is a vital transit facility designed to house long-range buses between morning and afternoon routes, reducing dead miles and improving efficiency. Located in Houston’s historic Warehouse District, the project replaces an aging facility and two bus canopies with three new structures: a two-story operations and facility maintenance building with driver amenities, training, and support spaces; a one-story fleet services building with drive-thru maintenance bays, storage, and back-office functions; and a one-story fuel island to service non-revenue vehicles. The existing bus canopies will be preserved and re-integrated into the site, creating opportunities for community use during weekends.

Design references the surrounding industrial character through brick, masonry, and steel materials, while the landscape plan preserves mature trees along the site’s northern boundary and connects the facility to the transformative North Canal project. The facility also incorporates sustainability considerations, adaptive reuse opportunities, and is subject to Buy America requirements. As part of the scope, METRO’s Buffalo Bayou IT Hub will be relocated to the Burnett Transit Center.

Unique challenges included integrating the preserved canopies into the new landscape and maximizing opportunities for public access to portions of this fenced facility. By addressing these challenges and aligning with the broader North Canal vision, the project enhances both METRO’s operations and the surrounding community.