High Point's transit hub construction plows ahead
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, June 27, 2005
High Point — Construction is on track for a $4.1 million transportation terminal in the heart of the furniture market here, with the first phase set to open in October.
Located on Commerce Avenue between the International Home Furnishings Center and Showplace, the facility in October will have three new bus lanes, comfortable seating and an octagonal information kiosk.
The kiosk, like an airport information center, will list arrival and departure times of the market's 20 buses continually traveling 13 routes. Trained travel hosts will provide assistance.
"Gone are the chaotic days of placards and a traffic director with a bullhorn. This system will be second to none," said Judy Mendenhall, president of the International Home Furnishings Market Authority.
The terminal will be part of the newly named Market Authority Xpress or MAX, a transit system designed to ease getting around market.
"We asked the industry what kind of transportation they needed to simplify their market experience," Mendenhall said. "They told us they wanted a streamlined yet more flexible system that runs frequently and reliably.
"Some marketgoers require it all — transportation from the Charlotte, Raleigh or Greensboro airports to Triad-area hotels to market. Others want to park and ride. Some just want to jump on a shuttle to go from one major showroom complex to the next, with stops at independent showrooms along the way," she said.
The new terminal, designed by Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects in Winston-Salem, N.C., is described as a light and airy garden setting with decorative lighting and landscaping. A final artist's rendering wasn't available last week.
Market Authority officials said the terminal's second phase, set for completion by October 2006, "will add the drama of multi-level transparent panels that curve upward to form a soaring roofline for sheltered walkways and waiting lounges."
Between markets, the area will be engineered for staging outdoor events with theatrical lighting. The kiosk will promote upcoming events.
