PSS to unveil state-of-the-art bus facility

The Public School System will be unveiling another first: a new state-of-the-art bus facility that was built with environmentally friendly materials.

The Lower Base facility, a sprawling structure spanning 13,700 square feet, is a total transformation from the aging, worn-out facility that was on the brink of collapse when PSS decided to build a new one from the ground up in 2011.

In a visit to the newly built building yesterday, PSS Capital Improvement Project coordinator Rachel Fusco and acting education commissioner Glenn Muña told Saipan Tribune that the new building will be officially unveiled on April 10 after more than a year of construction.

Considered the largest of its kind in the region, they said the Lower Base facility meets the requirements of the Federal Transportation Administration, which, among others, prioritizes safety and environment protection.

Funded under an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant, Fusco said the facility will house a motorpool with two mechanic pits, a procurement and supply warehouse, a dining hall, conference room, offices, and storage for tools and equipments, among others.

The project cost $1.552 million.

Muña gave the Saipan Tribune a tour of the facility, which he said will soon house all 19 PSS buses and eight American Disabilities Act accessible vans.

Since construction began last year, school buses have been stationed at a temporary warehouse across the new building.

“All the bus services will be moving in soon. Now that we don’t have extra money for buses, at least this is one way for PSS to maintain them. We’re really excited to have it opened,” he said.

Muna said the state-of-the-art facility has oil containments system, carbon-fitted insulation, and uses energy efficient LED lighting. It also has a well-designed drainage system to prevent flooding and a wash area for the buses.

According to Fusco, PSS drivers have been working on their buses outside the old building, which is deemed unsafe. “Now, it’s really a lot safer for them and our buses.”

The project was designed by SSFM International, the contractor is Tropex Garden, and the project manager is RR Group LLC.

Two years ago, PSS launched a multimillion-dollar renewable energy program that aims to build solar panels and wind turbines in at least 10 public schools on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Pioneered by Saipan Southern High School, this project is ongoing and has already been hailed by the U.S. Department of Energy.