This long-sought city project may finally have a station toreach.

We’re talking, of course, about the Multi-Modal TransportationFacility that has seen officials spend more than eight yearsdeveloping and revising plans and working to clear a seeminglynon-stop string of roadblocks in efforts toward getting it built.Aldermen last week awarded a contract for facility construction,and final paperwork is expected to be addressed later this month toget the project rolling.

Once completed – assuming there are not more unforeseen delaysin the future – the transportation facility journey will havespanned all or parts of three city administrations.

Envisioned by and begun under Mayor Bill Godbold, the facilitystarted out as a multi-million dollar project that would see thecity’s old power plant building restored and surrounding areasdeveloped for recreation, shopping, cultural and other needs.

The city sought and secured an approximately $5 million line offederal funding for the project. But unanswered questions aboutneed, usage, city matching fund requirements and other issuesslowed the facility on its track to creation.

Ultimately, following a change in city leadership, facilityplans were greatly scaled back to something in the $1 millionrange. City officials allowed federal funds reserved for theproject to be freed up for other nationwide needs.

But the need to remove roadblocks was not over. The most recentstumbling block that had to be resolved was a dock height disputebetween passenger service and freight car services.

Current Mayor Bob Massengill, who was involved with the projectas an alderman before becoming mayor, called the transportationfacility the most frustrating one he has dealt with in his eightyears in office. With Massengill leaving office at the end of thismonth, the facility project should be completed under new Mayor LesBumgarner.

While the multi-modal facility has been a multi-headache projectfor city officials, it nevertheless will see renovations to andrevitalization of an area of town that is in need.

Also, with the passenger train boarding area moved north,downtown traffic should flow better thanks to fewer blocked railcrossings. And train customers and waiting family members will havea nearby restrooms – something that has been sorely lacking withthe sheltered waiting area near Monticello Street.

The trip to transport hub reality has been a long one. It looksnow as if the final leg of the journey has begun.