NEW YORK CITY-As the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey continues to reinforce its focus on the region’s core roads, bridges and buses, its board voted on June 30 to authorize an additional $3.2 million toward the $180-million overhaul of the 47-year-old George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in Washington Heights. The redevelopment project--supported by $100 million in private-sector funds and $83.2 million from the Port Authority--will quadruple the terminal’s retail space, create approximately 746 new jobs and update the facility’s aging infrastructure. It is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013.

The authority is working with developer George Washington Bridge Development Venture LLC in a public-private joint venture to repurpose the regional transportation hub into a revitalized transit and retail destination. The developer has agreed to renovate the bus station to include 21 new gates, a modernized waiting area and 125,000 square feet of retail, up from the current 30,000 square feet allotted for shops and eateries. The plan also includes improved linkages and transfers to MTA subway stations at 181^st Street.

While Port Authority officials were unavailable to GlobeSt.com due to holiday outages, chairman David Samson says in a statement that the new terminal “will help ease the commute” for travelers going to-and-from Northern New Jersey and New York City by reducing traffic and streamlining bus operations. “At the same time, we’ll be putting more than 700 people to work, providing a major boost to the regional economy,” he says.