The City Commission rejected Commissioner Shaffe's resolution to begin an assessment for the proposed ramp at Ransom Avenue, between Fountain and Library Streets. They did this on the grounds that MobileGR had not had a chance to weigh-in on the idea yet. But two days later, on 12/14, the board of MobileGR unanimously approved a motion to request that the City begin exploring the possibility of constructing the new parking structure.
So, with this procedural hiccup out of the way, in all likelyhood the City Commission will now approve the process to begin assessing the actual vs. perceived need for a new ramp, which could take a while. Among other things, they will need to factor in how much new downtown parking is coming online through new private-sector projects (which could apparenty equate to as much as 91% of the capacity of the proposed library ramp). Downtown parking is estimated to be at 95% capacity currently.
Quote:
Downtown parking ramp discussion clears MobileGR
Nick Manes | MiBiz
Decemer 17, 2017
..Now that the MobileGR board passed the measure, city commissioners will likely begin the lengthy process of assessing the need for a new ramp, potentially identifying a development partner and determining whether the city would need to dispose of municipal assets, such as a surface parking lot. The process of getting a new parking structure built –– whether on the library site or elsewhere –– would likely take years, Naramore said. The cost of a new ramp on the library site is estimated at between $12.25 million and $15 million, with annual maintenance costing between $820,000 and $1 million. The city’s current monthly parking supply, largely targeted at daily commuters, stands at about 95 percent occupied, leading many in the business community to call for additional supply...
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