The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit agency on Monday opened its Santa Rosa construction offices, which will be headquarters for the engineers, planners and consultants who will put the 70-mile system together during the next four years.
"We always felt that we wanted to have a two-county presence," said Chris Coursey, SMART spokesman. "Our district covers two counties, two-thirds of the track is in Sonoma County and two-thirds of the population is in Sonoma County."
SMART's administrative headquarters will remain in San Rafael.
The transit agency still officially plans to begin service in late 2014 from Cloverdale to Larkspur, but the district is grappling with a $155 million shortfall that may affect its timetable.
The Santa Rosa offices are 7,229 square feet at 490 Mendocino Ave., in the same building the Sonoma County Transportation Authority has offices.
Next to SMART, LTK Engineering, a primary consultant in charge of vehicle design and operating systems, is also locating its offices.
The downtown Santa Rosa offices, however, will probably be used for five years, until the system is built and running, Coursey said.
After that, SMART will move its Santa Rosa staff to a maintenance facility being proposed for a site on the railroad right-of-way near Todd Road.
The Mendocino Avenue offices are being leased for $11,289 a month.
It includes offices for 15 SMART staff and consultants and a meeting room large enough for the agency to hold its operation, real estate and executive committees, staff conferences and public workshops.
On Monday, the office opened for eight SMART workers and consultants, with the remaining staff necessary for planning and construction to be added over the next several months.
Actual construction is scheduled to begin in 2012.
Currently, SMART staff and consultants are doing such work as drawing up vehicle specifications, surveying the route and inspecting the bridges.
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