PARTA is about to get a new home.

The state of Ohio received $50 million through the Federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant.

The Kent downtown revitalization project received $20 million of total.

The money will go toward the building of a multi-modal PARTA facility in downtown Kent. And although it sounds like a big, pointless building, it may be better than its title sounds.

Although many of us won’t be here by the time it’s done, it will make a great impact when site preparation begins in 2011. The project is projected to employ 265 people during the building process and then another 700 people post-construction.

And not only is it good for the economy as it gives folks jobs, it’s also going to be good (well, better) for the environment. Although the PARTA buses will likely continue spewing fumes as they travel about, at least the building will be reducing its carbon footprint. The structure is slated to use solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling.

The building may also pave the way for more efficient public transportation, bringing more people downtown. It is also set to make PARTA more accessible to possible riders as well.

The multi-modal facility will also include small stores, in case Acorn Alley isn’t enough for you yet.

Overall, the plan sounds great. It’s the next step in the downtown revitalization project and a big step for a part of Kent that’s a rather big eyesore right now (the future location is the current home of the closed Record-Courier building on Depeyster Street).

But we hope before this project begins, PARTA corrects some pre-existing problems. Many students still complain about the buses that run both on and off campus are often late or don’t arrive at all. So we really cross our fingers that those much simpler problems can be corrected — regardless of a new facility.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial staff whose members are listed to the left.