Construction’s expected to start this summer on a new 165,000 square foot facility in South Bend's Ignition Park. That new facility will house Transpo’s offices, operations center and bus maintenance — replacing the old, smaller facility on Northside Boulevard.

The project — expected to take 12 to 18 months — will be designed to be certified by the U.S. Building Green Council as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum structure.

Friday, South Bend’s Redevelopment Commission gave approval to actions related to the sale of 21.6 acres at the southeast edge, rather than the center of Ignition Park’s property for Transpo’s construction. Transpo will pay $648,000 for the site.

Ignition Park is the downtown part of South Bend’s two-site state-certified technology park on the grounds of the former Studebaker Corp.

Transpo — South Bend Public Transportation Corp. — operates a public transportation system over 200 miles of bus routes in South Bend and Mishawaka.