After seven years of construction, WAVE Transit is set to open the $5.5 million Forden Station project on April 18. The new indoor station will serve as the main bus transfer hub for the city.

“I think it will be extremely positive,” said Albert Eby, who managed the Forden Station project for WAVE.

“The goal is to try and make it more convenient and have more amenities to attract more passengers,” Eby said. “I think it will be pretty well received.”

The money for the construction project came from a variety of sources. To build the transfer station, 80 percent of the money came from federal funds with the state chipping in another 10 percent. The City of Wilmington paid 5 percent of the cost and New Hanover County paid 2 percent. The facility is named in honor of the late Harry Forden, former chairman of the Wilmington Transit Authority.

“We’ve been working on this for about 7 years. In 2008 we restructured our routes to be in that area,” Eby said. “Hopefully the passengers and public will come in and get a better idea of what we do.”

The facility, located at 505 Cando St., will serve an estimated 1,500 passengers a day. The 9,000 square-foot building meets LEED

Gold construction standards. According to a press release, the facility maximizes sun exposure while shades regulate temperatures by reducing sunlight during hot temperatures. All lights in the facility are on sensors and pervious pavement reduces storm water runoff.