Elati Light Rail Maintenance Facility

Submitted by RNL Design

With the expansion of light rail transportation in the Denver metro area, RTD faced a growing need for maintenance, operations and administrative space to support this service segment.

The new Elati Light Rail Maintenance Facility was designed with the capacity to support the maintenance needs of the existing southwest light rail corridor as well as the new 19-mi.-long southeast corridor light rail extension, which will increase the number of light rail vehicles in the RTD system to 100.

The new 125,000-sq-ft facility is a combination of administration, operations, maintenance and repair space that includes 16 light rail vehicle repair and preventative maintenance bays, recessed maintenance pits, a wheel truing pit, parts storage, AC repair, administrative office space, lunch rooms, locker/shower rooms, crew shops, maintenance of way and facilities maintenance.

The architecture features a one-story administration and operations space consisting of brick and stone masonry, which creates a human scale at the main employee and visitor entries, as well as along the street edge.

The maintenance area of the project is designed with a combination of varying heights of brick and stone masonry, insulated metal wall panels, translucent wall panels and a barrel-vaulted standing seam metal roof. RNL introduced natural daylight into the maintenance areas to enhance the work environment for the mechanics.

Careful detailing of the translucent panels, roof structure and canopies at the entries tie the entire project together into an aesthetically pleasing facility that will enhance the North Englewood Urban Renewal Area where it is located. The new Elati facility will act as a catalyst for future development in this area.

Project Team

Owner: RTD
Architect: RNL Design
Engineers: Maintenance Design Group, Carter Burgess, Milestone Engineering
Geotech Investigation: Kumar & Associates Inc.
General Contractor: M.A. Mortenson
Major Subs: Aggregate Industries-WCR Inc., Braconier, Douglass Roofing, Elward Construction Co., National Coatings, NEU International

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