St. Louis says bye to 'Am-shack,' hello to transport hub

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis residents for years have gotten on the train from a no-frills building known locally as the "Am-shack."

Not anymore. After about two decades of planning and work, state and city officials opened a new, $28 million transportation hub downtown on Friday where commuters can catch the bus, light rail and Amtrak trains.

The new Gateway Transportation Center is a building where Amtrak, Greyhound, MetroLink and MetroBus converge. The new facility one block south of the Scottrade Center features 24-hour operations staff, security and food service.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay called the opening both "a joy and a relief."

Slay said he has gotten letters, e-mails and hears often from residents about the spot where they used to board and disembark from trains.

"People wanted to know when the 'Am-shack,' or temporary facility, would be replaced. I can tell you the answer is right now," he said.

The new center will be a major crossing point. Last year, there were more than 270,000 Amtrak passengers in St. Louis. And Greyhound offers 35 daily trips to destinations across the country from the center.

A Greyhound passenger, David Dice, 33, of Edina, Mo., waited at the new transportation center to catch a bus on his trip from Tulsa, Okla., to Indianapolis. He called it a much nicer and safer-feeling environment than the bus station where he usually waited in St. Louis. "You never really wanted to hang out at that Greyhound station," he said.

"As a rule, you generally have to stay with your luggage. There, they didn't have to tell you that," he said.

He liked the new surroundings, but wondered why a soda from the vending machine cost him $2, which he thought was too steep. Other members of the public at an opening ceremony wondered if more parking was on the way.

St. Louis comptroller Darlene Green said officials want to add more parking, including overnight parking, which is currently not an option on site for the public.

"It's being worked on as we speak," she said.

She also said more signs are on the way to help drivers find the entrance and negotiate one-way roads into the center.

She said the transportation hub had been in the works for more than 20 years.

Several speakers said they believe it will help the region's development.

"Now you can say all roads, all points, lead to the Gateway Transportation Center," she said.