Council approves downtown garage

An eight-story parking garage will be built north of Broadway.

By Mary Daly

Published April 22, 2008

Columbia residents will have more downtown parking after the City Council approved an eight-story parking garage north of Broadway on Monday night.

The City Council declared the necessity for construction of a new parking garage located between Fifth and Sixth streets on the south side of Walnut Street.

The council considered four options before declaring the nature and cost estimate of the new parking garage.

Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade said parking utility funds would pay for the project.

It was decided unanimously among the council to construct only on the presently owned lot. The estimated cost for this choice ranges from $10.5 to $13.9 million.

Another option the council considered was to purchase two additional properties adjoining the first lot, the Municipal Employees Credit Union and Commerce Bank, and constructing the garage on the enlarged space. The cost for this option ranges from $14 to $18.4 million and was rejected by the council.

The council further decided upon a plan for a small underground area in the northeast corner of the garage to accommodate 50 police squad cars. This site would have the potential for a personnel tunnel under Sixth Street into the Columbia Police Department. The cost for the additional police parking is from $1.5 to $1.6 million.

Walker Parking Consultants of Elgin, Ill., is in charge of the parking garage construction. Walker Director of Operations David Ryan said he got architectural treatment ideas for the new garage from other Walker designs.

Ryan showed the council examples of parking garage facades from garages around the country.

“The price depends on what material and design is selected,” Ryan said.

The council decided on a middle- to upper-level facade for the new parking garage. Second Ward Councilman Chris Janku said he would like to spend a little more money on the facade of the structure.

“I don’t think we want to go bargain basement for an eight-story building,” Janku said.

Wade also said the facade of the garage should be of a higher quality material.

“I think the quality of the new parking structure should be consistent with the way we want our downtown to move,” Wade said.

Columbia Special Business District Director Carrie Gartner said the look of the parking garage is important for downtown businesses.

“I think it’s important that the ground level space is architecturally interesting,” Gartner said. “It makes it easier to rent out those spaces, and it makes people stop and enter the businesses.”

Gartner said the business district likes the location of the building and the number of estimated spaces in the new parking garage.

She said it is important for the garage to have easy and safe access to stores for pedestrians, suggesting the addition of a crosswalk at the intersection of Fifth and Walnut streets.

The council as a whole said it felt the addition of the new parking garage would be a positive addition to the city.

“This could be a trendsetter for that part of town,” First Ward Councilman Paul Sturtz said.