Progress is steady on the Sparks bus transit center that is both reminiscent of the past and heralds future downtown development, but it will not be open until after the special events season.

The Regional Transportation Commission's Centennial Plaza is expected to accommodate up to 16 buses, but will most likely host about 11 buses when it opens. Fabric bus canopies will offer cool shade in the summer.

Construction on Centennial Plaza began in February 2007, and is expected to reach completion this fall, most likely in October, said Dan Gallian, RTC senior engineer.

The construction site is enclosed and many outdoor storage and operation areas will not adversely affect tourists and locals attending special events in Victorian Square this summer, beyond taking up some parking spaces.

The cost of RTC Centennial Plaza is $21 million, including rights-of-way purchase, design work and construction. The construction contract was awarded to West Coast Contractors, and progress seems to be visible every week.

"The whole shell of the building has been constructed," Gallian said. "A lot of landscaping is done, and some of the interior. The brickwork and structures are all up."

Some internal finishing work needs to be done in the near future, Gallian said.

Centennial Plaza's arc shape borrows from the past.

"We're taking the theme from the railroad heritage of Sparks, and the building is designed after the railroad roundhouse," Gallian said.

Artist Don Lipski designed the modified, round house-shaped building, as well as a piece of public artwork, a 40-foot-tall sculpture shaped like the cow catchers seen outfitted on the fronts of old steam engine trains. The structural beams will feature old railroad tool cut-outs.

"The sculpture is back-lit at night with a blue tint," Gallian said.

Next comes the fabric for the canopy, as well as energy-efficient features of the building which tie together the historic reminiscence with modern technology.

"The fabric on the roof is the same type of material used at the Denver airport," Gallian said. "It provides filtered lighting, and cuts back on electrical costs."

The temperature in the building will remain moderate because of the use of modern construction techniques.

"The heating and ventilation system will use 'heat sinks,' which are like wells in the ground to store cool air and release during the summer, or warm air that is stored in the ground to save on heating costs during the winter," Gallian said. "Piping runs through it, so when it is too hot or too cold outside, the ground stays fairly temperate, to cool or heat the inside air."

The energy efficiency features on the building qualify it to apply for the silver award for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design.