The Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA) Airways Transit Center recently received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, becoming the first newly constructed, publicly funded building in Shelby County, TN, to be so recognized.

The 30,000-square-foot facility, which opened in November 2011, is a major focal point for local public transit service in the Whitehaven area and also serves as the new Greyhound intercity bus terminal for Memphis, replacing its decades-old home downtown. It also provides improved connections to the Memphis International Airport, which is within two miles of the new facility.

The Airways Transit Center achieved Silver certification through the inclusion of energy efficiency features such as a white roof that reflects sunlight and heat; less use of asphalt paving and preservation of green space to reduce the urban heat island effect; energy-efficient lighting, glass windows, and HVAC systems; water-conserving fixtures and landscaping; and the use of recycled materials. These measures are expected to lower operating costs for the center.

The center also showcases public art, developed in collaboration with the Memphis Urban Art Commission and artist Walter Kravitz, and noteworthy features including preferential parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, bike racks, new sidewalks, a community conference room, food services, Greyhound Package Express, and a light maintenance building for Greyhound.

The Tennessee Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) also honored the MATA Airways Transit Center with a 2012 Design Merit Award for New Construction. AIA cited the facility as “a shared waiting room for multiple transit-oriented tenants. The design goal is to serve as a catalyst for future transit-oriented development. Retail, dining, and recreational tenants draw in the public.”