The cost of Lexington District 1’s new bus depot has jumped to $9.5 million.

The district will use bond premium and interest earnings from the 2018 Bond Referendum sales to cover the additional $6.5 million.

District 1 voters passed a $365 million 5-year building plan that included $3 million for construction of a new bus depot to replace the Barr Road facility.

The new facility off Two Notch Road and I-20, is centrally located to better serve the Lexington, River Bluff and White Knoll attendance areas, the board said.

Administrators explained that the increase of $6.5 million would pay for needed propane and diesel fueling stations, maintenance bays to service the districtowned buses, covered wash bays, a training room, offices and security.

Chief Operations Officer Jeff Salters also explained that the original study, conducted in 2017, included a smaller facility which no longer addresses the current and future needs of the transportation office.

Only board member Jada Garris questioned the cost.

“I could write a book about the new transportation facility,” she said.

“From the botched environmental site assessment where hazards disappeared from the 1st study to the 2nd study (that was warranted because so much contamination existed) to how far it’s tracking behind schedule, to how we bough 40-something acres that could have been subdivided and we only needed 20 acres, to the cost that has now tripled,” she said.

“The district needs to quit being less than honest with the citizens of Lexington County by telling them that the cost of this facility tripled because of rising construction costs or that they’ve experienced such tremendous growth in the number of bus drivers and buses since 2017 that a larger facility is needed.

“Instead, they need to own up to the fact that they planned a 2,500-square-foot facility for approximately 30 buses. The proposed facility is over 15,000 square feet and accommodates over 200 buses.”