At least two conceptual ideas for the construction of a multi-modal transportation hub in the city’s downtown area will be presented at a public meeting on October 17, 7pm at the Amsterdam Housing Authority on Division Street. The new hub would take the place of the current Amtrak station on West Main Street. According to Mayor Michael Villa, experts from the Mott MacDonald engineering firm will provide architectural drawings and explain the details of their proposals.
“It should be very informative. It should be enlightening. I think a lot of people see the possibilities of what we can do down there,” said Villa.
Villa added that he was “extremely impressed” with the work that Mott MacDonald has done so far and that the project could be “transformational” for the city.
The city received a $115,000 grant from New York State in December 2015 to help fund an initial study of the relocation idea. Mott MacDonald was awarded a $207,790 contract by the city in April 2017 to complete the study.
According to Amtrak’s statistics, 11,155 people either boarded or departed at the city’s station in 2015. The station is currently located approximately 2 miles northwest of the city’s downtown area.
