Springfield South End parking garage plan moves ahead with bid opening

SPRINGFIELD – A South End parking garage project seen as a key to redeveloping a blighted square off Main Street moved ahead Monday with the opening of bids for a designer.

The city received one response to the request for proposals from Desman Inc., which specializes in parking design and has offices in multiple cities including Hartford and Boston. The bid is now under review, according to the city’s procurement department.

The garage, to be owned and managed by the Springfield Parking Authority, is part of the city’s renewal of the area surrounded by Willow, Sturbridge, Cross and Main streets. It incorporates projects on State Street as well, said Timothy Sheehan, chief economic development officer for the city.

The preliminary cost estimate is $24 million. The final figure, which will be firmed up during the design process, could be lower. It is expected to be funded with a bond and city funds, with parking revenue used to pay back the money, Sheehan said.

The city started taking parcels and vacant buildings in that area several years ago in foreclosures . At the same time, it created an addendum to a downtown master plan to address development possibilities and parking needs.

“If we are going to acquire these, what do we look at the reuse being?” Sheehan asked.

The study showed two parking problems. There is a 400- to 600-space shortage, based on current and future needs. And 40% of all land in that neighborhood is surface parking, Sheehan said.

“It is clearly not the highest and best use of the land resources in an urban downtown,” he said. “That is the premise. There is way too much surface parking.”

A large number of parking lots creates a feeling there is nothing else in the downtown. And at night, parking lots become intimidating and feel unsafe, Sheehan said.

Instead, the garage was seen as a way to consolidate parking and better meet the needs of overflow parking for existing businesses and new projects. One is the $70 million plan by the Chicago-based McCafferty Interests. That company plans to turn the Clock Tower on 113-117 State St. and other buildings on 1139 Main St., 1163 Main St. and 11 Stockbridge St. into a mixed use development of roughly 97 apartments, with retail and restaurants.

The garage is to be 4.5-stories tall. Preliminary designs show it to have 364 spaces. While it is tiny compared to the about 3,000-space MGM Springfield garage nearby, it will suit the neighborhood, said Timothy Brangle, president and chief executive officer of Chicago Consultants Studio Inc., a consultant on the project.

“We thought if we could build a garage in the near term to satisfy (present and future) demand … and have a little room for growth we, would be sitting pretty good with one nice garage,” he said.

Preliminary designs focus on how to ensure it fits into the neighborhood, and the Stockbridge Court complex, and creates a feeling of safety with enhanced lighting, trees and walkways to Main Street, Brangle said.

The design calls for the garage to be tucked into the back of the block at the corner of Cross and Willow streets, with the entrance and main walkway on Cross Street.

A “pocket park” will connect to State Street, Brangle said.

“The Stockbridge has been one of the most successful rental residential projects in the city since the late 1970s, but the one thing we failed to do is provide adequate pedestrian connections and walkways from Main Street,” Sheehan said.

People living downtown should feel comfortable walking to restaurants and entertainment venues just a few blocks away, he said.

“This goes a long way in changing the perception of safety and also enticing developers to come in and invest,” he said.

The plan is to have the garage completed and open by the spring of 2027. With a plan and study in place, Sheehan and Brangle say they expect construction to begin by next summer.

Much of the garage is to be built with precast panels and take about 10 months to construct. The city has learned from the delays in the Convention Center Garage project and is considering ordering electrical materials and panels early, since there can be a year’s lag before they are delivered, Sheehan said.

“We are trying to tie it as much as we can to the opening of the new (McCafferty) residential units. We don’t want to have a big lag between units coming online and not having the garage open,” he said.

Read the original article on MassLive .