Williamsport opens transportation center

Downtown Williamsport has taken on a new look.

After years of planning, $18 million worth of improvements are now being used. They include the Trade and Transit Centre and a 500-stall parking deck, both in the area of West Third and Pine streets. The dedication of both was in December but both facilities were not put into full use until January.

The project was undertaken with a goal of spurring economic development in center city. "A lot of attention was paid to detail," says William E. Nichols Jr., manager of the Bureau of Transportation who has supervised the various construction projects.

The Trade and Transit Centre, named for former U.S. Rep. Joseph M. McDade, RScranton, who obtained federal money for its construction, sits on the site of the former landmark L.L. Stearns & Sons department store.

The three-story, 34,000-square-foot building includes a waiting area for city bus passengers, the offices of the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and the new home of the Community Theatre League.