NATCHEZ — With just more than a month left before deadline, crews are putting the finishing touches on the new Natchez Transit Facility.

Natchez Transit System Director Sabrena Bartley said the contractor, Paul Jackson & Son of Brookhaven, is completing interior work at the facility, which is located at the former A-B Motor Company site on North Shields Lane.

“They’re painting walls and, in some places, putting down floor tiles and also completing Sheetrock work,” she said.

Crews are also installing wiring for utilities, including telephone and Internet service.

The overall project deadline is Oct. 5, Bartley said.

The transit facility, its equipment, as well as two recently purchased trolleys, a commuter bus and two other passenger vehicles, are being funded by a $3 million federal stimulus package through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The ARRA funding stipulates that the items purchased by ARRA money must be installed by Sept. 30, Bartley said.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation is providing $900,000 in funds to help pay for approximately $1 million in unforeseen costs for the facility.

The city will also have to pay approximately $200,000 in matching funds for the grant.

The facility will house the Natchez Transit System and will have tenant space available for transportation-related businesses, Bartley said.

The city has had inquiries from businesses about the space, Bartley said, but she could not name the businesses because no contracts have been signed.

The facility will also have training space and a conference room available as meeting space that local businesses can rent.

Bartley said she is excited to see the facility’s completion and the impact it will have on the community.

“I’m excited about the economic impact it’s already made in the community, and, furthermore, the impact it will make in the future and the services it will provide to the citizens of Natchez and Adams County,” Bartley said.