April 2022

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi (AP) — A downtown parking lot on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast has barely been used since a city spent federal money to build it after Hurricane Katrina, and local officials say it has become a graffiti-covered eyesore.

Pascagoula executives are looking for ways to give the City Dock Parking Garage a new purpose, possibly adding office or retail space on the upper floors, according to the Mississippi Press. reported. The original light fixtures and security cameras were destroyed a long time ago.

“Isn’t that terrible? said Mayor Jay Willis. “It’s just ridiculous. Because there hasn’t been much traffic there over the years since it was built, it’s become a favorite spot for people looking to do bad things and not be seen.

As billions of federal dollars poured into Mississippi after Katrina in 2005, Pascagoula used some of his money to build the parking lot in anticipation of future downtown development. The garage is near the Pascagoula River.

“You know the old phrase ‘Build it and they will come?’ Well, they didn’t come,” Willis said. “It has stood totally empty and unused since it was built.”

Willis and the Pascagoula City Council hope to turn the structure into something useful. The city contracted with a planning and design firm to determine the options.

“I really believe this is going to turn into something that will be very nice for the town of Pascagoula,” Willis said.

The city replaced the garage light fixtures and installed a new surveillance camera system linked to the Pascagoula Police Department. The garage sits directly behind nine new high-end townhouses being built along the river, with 11 additional townhouses under construction.

The Buchanan parking lot in downtown Lafayette will reopen in time for the Festival International de Louisiane crowds, according to a statement from the Lafayette Consolidated Government.

“The first phase of construction to repair the deteriorated steel columns and beams has been completed. The second phase to repair the elevators and stairwells is expected to begin in approximately three months,” the statement said. “Elevators will not operate until phase two is complete. Staff will use a golf cart to transport those unable to descend garage levels.”

Festival parking is $5. After the festival ends, the parking fee is $1 per hour, the statement said.

The six-story structure built in 1981 was abruptly closed in October 2018 after it was deemed unsafe, exacerbating parking issues for patrons of the nearby Lafayette Parish courthouse as many street parking spaces near the courthouse were then reserved for courthouse employees who used The Garage.

Corrosion damaged more than half of the steel beams and columns that support the floors of the 344-vehicle parking garage.

Mayor-President Josh Guillory signed an emergency declaration in March 2020 after an engineer’s report found advanced to severe corrosion in the latches that connect some of the 200 panels to the garage itself. The panels were removed to lighten the load on the structure.

Phase 1 of the garage repairs, involving structural repairs to the car park, as well as sandblasting and painting the exterior of the structure and installing an impact-resistant cable system, was due to be completed in January for a cost of $1.6 million.

Phase 2 is expected to include the repair or replacement of elevators, as well as repairs to stairwells and the electrical system, at an estimated cost of $1.6 million. The second phase may also include interior painting for an estimated cost of $500,000 to $800,000.

The police report says Singal was initially charged with attempted human trafficking for commercial sex acts, but court records show the charge was changed on Thursday to a misdemeanor count of soliciting a prostitute.

Singal was arraigned Thursday in the Roxbury Division of Boston City Court, where he was released on a recognizance, according to a spokesperson for the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office. He is due back in court on May 19.

Singal, who handled public corruption and major fraud cases as an assistant U.S. attorney and later defended the owner of a now-defunct Framingham pharmacy responsible for a deadly meningitis outbreak in 2012, said also contributed to the opinion section of the Boston Globe, writing in 2018 about Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Singal was arrested as part of a Boston and state police initiative to reduce the demand for commercial sex in the area around Massachusetts Avenue, according to the police report.

Police first saw a sex worker, whose age was not included in the report, walking through this area and trying to interact with passing drivers. A gray 2019 Infiniti Q70L then slowed to a stop next to her on Peirson Street near Allerton Street, one block from Massachusetts Avenue south of Melnea Cass Boulevard, around 6:30 p.m., according to the report.

The sex worker got into the front passenger seat and the Infiniti headed down Massachusetts Avenue and took a right, continuing to the mall, then taking a left onto Allstate Road, where the sedan entered a busy parking lot and parked between the second and third levels, according to the report.

An investigator walked to the Infiniti, where he could clearly see through its windows that the sex worker was bending over to the driver’s knee area and performing a sex act, according to the report.

The officer knocked on the car window, gave her name and told the driver to get out, and soon other investigators arrived and told the sex worker to get out of the vehicle, according to the report.

Investigators asked the man to step away for a private conversation, and he handed over his ID, which showed it was Singal, police said.

Police told Singal they were working to reduce the demand for commercial sex, and he “said he understood and repeatedly asked for leniency and consideration”, explaining that he was a lawyer and that he knew the importance of the initiative, according to the report. .

Meanwhile, the sex worker told interviewing investigators that Singal picked her up and agreed to pay $40 for a sex act, and that he gave her the money before she committed. the deed, according to the report.

As officers arrested Singal, he asked to speak to a supervisor, and when allowed to do so, Singal “again asked that we consider not being arrested”, police said. The supervisor reminded him of the seriousness of the problem, according to the report.

Police referred the sex worker to a social services agency that helps survivors of sex trafficking and domestic violence, and she was driven away from the area, according to the report.

Jeremy C. Fox can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @jeremycfox.

FERNDALE — A mixed-use parking structure in downtown Ferndale has received City Council approval.

At its April 11 meeting, Ferndale City Council voted 4-0 to approve special land use and site plan applications for a 5-story parking structure at 180 Vester St. The property is owned at the Ferndale Collision auto shop.

The mixed-use building is proposed to contain 169 spaces over an area of ​​18,572 square feet. The first floor would not have parking, but would house shops. The project is connected to a mixed-use development at 141 Vester St. which was approved by council earlier this year.

A condition of this approval was that the developer agree to delay construction for 14 months from the date of approval to create an opportunity for the 180 Vester car park to be built first. The 141 Vester project will include 72 units with a focus on affordable housing.

“The rendering is basically the facade, a facade that’s broken in such a way that…it’s not immediately apparent as a parking structure,” said Peter D’Aleo, architect at Serra-Marko & Associates, during Of the reunion. “It attempts to be more compatible with adjacent buildings and contextually with the streetscape.”

Council approval, City Manager Joe Gacioch said, allows the developers, Zoma Investments, to move forward to explore their financing options.

Mayor Melanie Piana added that the banks need a good design project in order to estimate what the financing needs of the project would be to see if it can actually be built.

“Our business community and the residents of our meeting at 141 Vester wanted a guarantee that it was going to be built, and we said there was no guarantee of development,” she said, ” But this is just one step in the process of moving this project forward at a faster pace to see if it can meet parking demands, as well as the needs and demands that the business community and residents have set themselves a priority.

Councilman Greg Pawlica thought the project was excellent and made good use of the property. He also said the structure would allow Ferndale more flexibility with potential parking in land behind the Como restaurant, as well as any other development that might want to explore the east side of town.

“This addresses the need for additional parking on the east side, which (we will) lose a significant amount of parking to Project 141 (Vester),” he said.

After a nineteen month period of demolition and construction, the long-awaited opening of the California Street Parking Garage has arrived. The six-story garage, part of the Block 7 project in downtown Redding, features 400 parking spaces, electric vehicle chargers, an elevator, solar shade structures and spectacular skyline views of Redding. The garage is owned by a partnership between the McConnell Foundation and K2 Development Companies.

To commemorate the opening of this important community asset, all partners involved in financing, designing and building the project will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the top floor of the garage on Friday, May 6 at 12:00 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend the event and park in the structure for the first time.

Shannon Phillips, chief operating officer of the McConnell Foundation, said “We are thrilled the wait is over and anticipate the opening of the beautiful new garage will be well received by those who live, work and play downtown.

The garage was built by Modern Building, Inc. with a significant portion of the work done by Conco Commercial Concrete Contractors. The garage was designed by Arkansas-based Modus Studios and Bay Area-based DMARC Studio. The garage’s metal cladding consists of artistically placed Corten steel panels that are designed to oxidize over time to develop a unique patina that matches the warm reddish hue of Redding’s natural floors.

Prior to the May 6 opening date, the parking garage will be “soft openingto the public on Thursday, April 28. There will be no parking fees until June 1 in recognition of the community‘s patience when constructing the parking structure. Further announcements on parking rates, monthly passes and other parking amenities will be released around June 1.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A concept to build a 500-space maximum parking lot with mixed-use space, potentially housing apartments, businesses or community spaces, was rejected by Grand Rapids city commissioners on Tuesday.

Mobile GR, the city’s parking services department, has been considering for years the idea of ​​building a parking lot, with commercial or residential space, on what is now a 110-space surface parking lot, 111 Library St. NE .

After hearing the outcome of the community feedback the city gathered on the concept, several commission members wondered if an additional parking garage was needed. Instead, they suggested that residential housing, with enough parking to service the library and surrounding venues, should be the main focus of the site.

“In Grand Rapids, we need housing like hogs need slop,” City Commissioner Joe Jones said Tuesday, April 26. “Any opportunity to get housing is a good thing.”

Josh Naramore, director of Mobile GR, said building a parking garage on the site would allow the city to provide parking for city employees who currently park in more demand lots downtown.

The idea is to “free up more parking spaces in the heart of downtown, especially in the Heartside neighborhood where we have a lot of businesses that want to expand,” he said.

Naramore cited the Weston-Commerce ramp as an example of a parking garage that is “extremely oversubscribed.”

Commissioner Jon O’Connor expressed his opposition to the proposed parking garage.

He asked why the city would consider building the facility when a large parking lot used by the city, located at 36 McConnell St. SW, has a 60% utilization rate.

“If it’s something that’s 60%, why don’t we put cars out there at $0 cost,” he asked.

During his presentation to the commission, Naramore highlighted feedback the city has gathered from residents and community members on the parking garage concept.

Feedback was collected from neighborhood residents, as well as nearby institutions such as the Library, Grand Rapids Community College, Civic Theater, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and others. Developer feedback was also collected.

As well as a parking garage, ideas for what to include in the development ranged from affordable housing, retail space for a cafe and outdoor recreation space, among others. , Naramore said.

The parking garage could consist of one development space on the first floor, followed by multiple parking floors, with additional development space above the garage.

He said the library’s biggest concern was making sure there was enough parking space for the library and its patrons.

“They’re very strong on what we’ve heard all along, which is that the new structure shouldn’t overshadow the existing historic structure,” Naramore said, referring to the library, which opened in 1904.

He said feedback from the development community highlighted that financial incentives will likely be needed to make the project a reality given rising construction costs.

Commissioner Senita Lenear said she would like the concept to focus primarily on housing.

“Housing is an important need,” she said. “For years, we have had people ask us to make housing available, as much as possible. When I think of the options here, it would have been great to see an option that is mostly accommodation with parking, perhaps, to support that.

A 2020 study, conducted for the city of Grand Rapids by Housing Next, estimates the city needs 5,340 additional apartments and 3,548 owner-occupied condos, townhouses or single-family homes by 2025.

For the next stages of the concept, Naramore said briefings on the concept will be provided to the Grand Rapids Public Library Board, as well as the Mobile GR Commission. Feedback from these councils and the city commission will be used to create a firmer concept for the site.

“With the approval of the city commission, we might like to move forward with the potential design of what the facility would look like based on your feedback,” Naramore told the commission.

Adding more parking to the area would also benefit nearby organizations such as the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and St. Cecilia Music Center. Both organizations said one of the barriers to their growth is that they don’t have parking, Naramore said.

He said the size of the proposed parking garage could be reduced and that 500 spaces is not a definitive figure.

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The city has condemned the Gables Building parking lot for security reasons, heightening the threat of a downtown parking shortage.

The shutdown came earlier this month after a complaint led to a codes department inspection that revealed a host of issues, according to department director Rebecca Brown.

A planned parking study is “even more important” now, said Sherri McGregor, president of the Altoona Parking Authority.

Numerous cracks in the concrete beams that support the Gables Garage’s deck panels have caused further deterioration of the beams, and there is significant spalling of the concrete from the panels and numerous exposed steel rebars, Brown said. , citing the inspector’s report.

The sentencing earlier this month led to the transfer of 48 vehicles that had been using the Gables garage to the garage at the nearby city transportation center – with a temporary reservation of 12 additional spaces, according to Vickie Chilcote, office manager of the Parking Authority.

Those 12 remaining spaces — which would become open to the general public for monthly rentals if former Gables occupants are not interested — represent the final 12 available for monthly rent in the Transportation Center garage, according to Chilcote.

There are also 14 spaces available in the surface lot behind Altoona Cardiology Associates and a few on the 10th Avenue Freeway near 11th Street, according to Chilcote.

Additionally, there are three-hour visitor spaces available behind the new Curry building and two-hour spaces on the avenues, McGregor said.

The city ordered Gables owner DSD Investors LLC of Upper Darby to hire a structural engineer to analyze the Gables garage and provide a report to the city with a chart of needed repairs, Brown said.

“The goal here is just to get that report and go from there,” said Brown.

The company, however, had difficulty finding a structural engineer to perform the task and requested an extension of time, according to the company’s manager, Brown said.

Brown doesn’t know if the company intends to repair the garage or how much it might cost, she said.

The city’s recent inspection showed that workers had already patched holes in the Gables garage, fastened heavy netting to the first-floor ceiling, installed wooden cribwork under the second-floor deck, and applied shotcrete in spots, Brown said.

As far as she knows, the condemnation of the garage will not affect the use of the rest of the Gables building, Brown said.

The garage has five floors, including a roof.

The lowest floor is accessible from a driveway connecting 11th and 12th Avenues, while the upper floor is accessible from the 1100 block of 13th Street and the remaining floors are accessible from the 1300 block of 12th Avenue.

The city has affixed yellow warning tape to all entrances.

“As we see how it unfolds, we will know more,” said McGregor.

Ongoing downtown revitalization has created pressure for more parking, though the upcoming summer break for Penn State Altooona should relieve some of that pressure.

The RFP for the Parking Study calls for a review of the 7th to 18th Street and 10th to 14th Avenue area.

The budget for the study is $40,000.

The study consultant must complete within six months.

This study “comes at a good time” said McGregor.

The transport center garage has 230 spaces.

The Gables Garage has about 100 spaces, officials said.

The DSD director spoke briefly to a reporter on Monday, suggested the matter could be discussed later, but did not call back after that.

The Mirror’s staff writer, William Kibler, is at 814-949-7038.

Developers in the Fondren Entertainment District are drawing up plans for the parking lot that will be built behind The Pearl tiki bar, Highball Lanes bowling alley and the Capri Theatre.

Jason Watkins and David Pharr, the Northeast Jackson residents who started the Fondren Entertainment District business, said they were handling plans for the garage because there is land available related to their development and that they have an established business relationship with a contractor, which should make construction as efficient and affordable as possible.

Senate Bill 3150 authorized up to $20 million in bonds to be issued by the Hinds County Development Project Loan Fund “to assist in the development and construction of infrastructure improvements, including structured parking , and other enhancements associated with an entertainment development project”.

“The leadership of the state — the governor and the speaker of the House of Representatives — led it that way,” Watkins said. “They saw the need for this garage. It was their choice to help him in this way.

In February, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors approved the garage’s general concept and voted to move forward with the legislation.

Supervisors will be responsible for loan repayment, Watkin said. Revenue from drivers paying to use the garage and fees paid by residents of a planned apartment complex will go to Hinds County to pay for the loan, he said.

“We have a few loose ends with the county regarding the structure of the loan agreement,” he said. “After that, the design phase will begin, and then construction, which will take six to nine months.”

Hinds County will take ownership of the garage upon completion, Watkins said.

“It will be the county’s long-term asset,” he said. “We have no interest in owning the garage.”

Plans call for a professional management company to lease and operate the garage, Watkins said. As is the case in many cities, drivers will pay a fee to park in the garage.

The exact location of the garage, which is estimated to be worth $13 million, has not been identified except behind the entertainment district, Pharr said.

Pharr and Watkins are working with a consultant who specializes in parking garages, who advised that a garage that can hold 500 vehicles would be the right size to accommodate area businesses and allow for future growth in the area.

Watkins hopes the garage will be ready for use by the end of 2022.

In a state where drivers value the convenience of front door parking, Pharr believes drivers will use the garage because it will provide an alternative to driving around the block and looking for an open parking space.

“We think people will appreciate the predictability and security of parking,” he said. An armed security guard patrols in front of the Quartier des spectacles in Fondren and another in the back of the Quartier des spectacles.

Nathan Glenn, owner of Rooster’s and Basil’s restaurants in the Fondren Corner Building, welcomes the extra parking.

“Parking is the only thing everyone complains about in Fondren,” he said. “Any additional parking would be fine. I think it will be good for the whole region.

Parking would also be beneficial when there are events in Fondren and parking is scarce, he said.

COMMUNITY

By Lola Oliverio, Proconian

Growing up in Carrboro, I can’t remember the first time I hung out with friends at the 300 East Main Street parking lot next to the ArtsCenter. This was my favorite place throughout my high school experience and I created countless memories there.

For the most part, the structure is a place to park your car while you catch a concert at Cat’s Cradle or enjoy a meal at Hickory Tavern. For many young people in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area, however, it is the meeting place. Often teens hang out on the top floor, sit in their car, or people watch while chatting with friends.

Erected in September 2013, the parking lot has served East Main Square businesses for nearly nine years. The structure was built as part of the “Phase One” construction process that brought Carrboro to a Hilton Inn and began in March 2012.

“When you say ‘the parking lot,’ everyone knows what you’re talking about,” said Chapel Hill Secondary School senior Victoria Romanova.

The place has become a staple of teenage life in the Triangle. With five floors (including one on the roof), an elevator and a beautiful view of Main Street, it’s the perfect place to meet up with friends.

“People have fun there; they relax,” said CHHS sophomore Emerys Bowers.

Many teenagers skateboard, have photo shoots, or just chat with each other on the roof of the structure.

“It’s a great place to hang out with people in a nice and safe environment,” said CHHS senior Julian Brown. “I feel pretty comfortable there.”

Many love the place because of its informal and intimate atmosphere.

“It’s a nice meeting place because it’s relatively secluded but also laid back and public,” added CHHS manager Mia Kalish. “Plus, you can see much of the beautiful UNC-Chapel Hill campus from up there.”

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the structure became even more popular, as it was the only place many could see their friends.

“When my friends and I were unable to spend time indoors, we spent a lot of time in the parking lot,” said CHHS manager Tatum Chewning. “It’s a long way from Franklin Street so we would meet on the bridge and walk around downtown.”

The students say the Carrboro Police Department does not actively enforce loitering restrictions against teens who engage in innocent entertainment.

“The police have questioned my friends a few times, but usually they just ask what we’re doing and make sure we’re not drinking,” Brown said.

In 2021, Carrboro Cat’s Cradle Concert Hall built an outdoor performance space behind the arts center. During some shows, individuals can often be seen watching from the parking lot.

“It was really cool to experience a concert from up there,” said CHHS senior Linden Clemens. “I think it’s a good option for sold-out shows. It’s obviously not like being in the pit, but it’s still fun.

The parking lot may come across as an unconventional hangout, but it serves young people in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area quite well. It’s rarely empty, and there are often several groups of friends at the top of the structure. It’s a pleasant phenomenon and a lesser known aspect of youth culture in the region.

This article first appeared in the Chapel Hill High School Student Newspaper Proconian.

COMMUNITY

By Lola Oliverio, Proconian

Growing up in Carrboro, I can’t remember the first time I hung out with friends at the 300 East Main Street parking lot next to the ArtsCenter. This was my favorite place throughout my high school experience and I created countless memories there.

For the most part, the structure is a place to park your car while you catch a concert at Cat’s Cradle or enjoy a meal at Hickory Tavern. For many young people in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area, however, it is the meeting place. Often teens hang out on the top floor, sit in their car, or people watch while chatting with friends.

Erected in September 2013, the parking lot has served East Main Square businesses for nearly nine years. The structure was built as part of the “Phase One” construction process that brought Carrboro to a Hilton Inn and began in March 2012.

“When you say ‘the parking lot,’ everyone knows what you’re talking about,” said Chapel Hill Secondary School senior Victoria Romanova.

The place has become a staple of teenage life in the Triangle. With five floors (including one on the roof), an elevator and a beautiful view of Main Street, it’s the perfect place to meet up with friends.

“People have fun there; they relax,” said CHHS sophomore Emerys Bowers.

Many teenagers skateboard, have photo shoots, or just chat with each other on the roof of the structure.

“It’s a great place to hang out with people in a nice and safe environment,” said CHHS senior Julian Brown. “I feel pretty comfortable there.”

Many love the place because of its informal and intimate atmosphere.

“It’s a nice meeting place because it’s relatively secluded but also laid back and public,” added CHHS manager Mia Kalish. “Plus, you can see much of the beautiful UNC-Chapel Hill campus from up there.”

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the structure became even more popular, as it was the only place many could see their friends.

“When my friends and I were unable to spend time indoors, we spent a lot of time in the parking lot,” said CHHS manager Tatum Chewning. “It’s a long way from Franklin Street so we would meet on the bridge and walk around downtown.”

The students say the Carrboro Police Department does not actively enforce loitering restrictions against teens who engage in innocent entertainment.

“The police have questioned my friends a few times, but usually they just ask what we’re doing and make sure we’re not drinking,” Brown said.

In 2021, Carrboro Cat’s Cradle Concert Hall built an outdoor performance space behind the arts center. During some shows, individuals can often be seen watching from the parking lot.

“It was really cool to experience a concert from up there,” said CHHS senior Linden Clemens. “I think it’s a good option for sold-out shows. It’s obviously not like being in the pit, but it’s still fun.

The parking lot may come across as an unconventional hangout, but it serves young people in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area quite well. It’s rarely empty, and there are often several groups of friends at the top of the structure. It’s a pleasant phenomenon and a lesser-known aspect of youth culture in the region.

This article first appeared in the Chapel Hill High School Student Newspaper Proconian.

Searching for a trucker to park overnight accidentally led to a partial collapse of a parking lot in Virginia on Wednesday night.

The incident happened on April 20 in Lynchburg, Va., just after 10 p.m., in a parking lot near Three Roads Brewery.

According to WSLS News, the driver entered the parking garage while looking for a place to park overnight while waiting to deliver to Three Roads Brewery in the morning. As the driver crossed the upper deck of the garage, his truck fell through the concrete, causing the garage to partially collapse.

Conditional approval for a six-story parking garage at McMaster University off Cootes Drive expired April 14 before conditions were lifted, with no request for an extension to the approval.

City of Hamilton spokeswoman Michelle Shantz said planning staff were told by McMaster’s agent on April 13 that the university was not pursuing the application that had originally received conditional approval from the sitemap a year ago.

McMaster University spokeswoman Michelle Donovan confirmed that demand for the 567-space parking structure north of Thorndale Crescent is not continuing now, but left the door open for it to progress to the ‘coming.

“The project continues to be put on hold,” Donovan said on April 14. “Until this status changes, no further work on the project is undertaken.”

The proposed six-story, 20.4-meter-tall structure was the first of a dozen possible parking garages in the university’s campus master plan to reach the request stage.

According to the conditional site plan approval letter from the City of Hamilton’s Director of Development Planning, Anita Fabac, to McMaster Planning Consultant Katelyn Gillis of T. Johns Consulting Group dated April 14, 2021, it there were 17 conditions to be removed – including erosion and siltation control, grading and drainage control, tree preservation and enhancement plan, landscaping plan, stormwater management and site lighting plan — before any building permits are issued.

Shantz and Donovan did not say whether any conditions were waived or whether McMaster submitted anything for review.

In addition, there were eight special conditions on the issuance of building permits, including a transportation impact study, City approval of parking garage paving materials and color, and two minor variances. to the zoning by-law.

McMaster’s proposal would require approval of two minor variances by the Committee of Adjustment to allow for the proposed building height of six stories and 20.4 meters where a maximum of 2.5 stories and 11 meters is permitted.

McMaster also needed a waiver to allow parking space dimensions of 2.8 meters by 5.8 meters and 2.6 meters by 5.8 meters where a minimum space of 2.7 meters by 6 .0 meters is required.

The city had not yet received the required minor variance applications.

The application came as a surprise to nearby residents, as well as others who wondered about the structure’s impacts on the surrounding environment.

Questions have been raised as to whether the proposed change to height limits is actually minor in nature or should require a rezoning application to the city’s planning committee.

The six-story parking garage on the existing K parking lot was the first of several parking garages envisioned in McMaster’s campus master plan. The plan includes up to three parking structures on Westaway Road and one at the corner of Main Street West and Cootes Drive as part of a planned transit hub.

The plan also proposes a second vehicle entrance from Cootes Drive at College Crescent, where the majority of vehicles, including all buses, would access campus.

The city has apparently not yet received planning applications for McMaster’s other parking and transit development concepts.

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Wheeling, W. Va. (WTRF) – The Center Wheeling parking garage is now closed to vehicles and pedestrians.

The garage which was originally built to hold 853 vehicles was only used by 35 to 40 nowadays, and only on the lower floors.

Then last week it had to be closed.

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said the former Valley Professional Center next to the garage is being converted into a new police headquarters. In the midst of construction, a problem arose on the upper deck of the parking garage.

The contractor used the parking structure to access the various floors of the police headquarters project, including the roof. Even if they had permission to do so, we believe the weight of one of these vehicles caused three of the beams on the upper level of the parking structure to crack to a point where we thought it would safer to close the parking structure. entirely.

Robert Herron, Wheeling City Manager

Herron said the garage is closed for the foreseeable future.

It will be reviewed by engineers. Based on their findings, Herron explained that the city would decide to do one of three things: rehabilitate the structure, partially demolish it, or completely demolish it.

He hopes the lower levels can be reopened in the coming weeks.

Stay with 7News for updates.

BATON ROUGE — A man shot a kidnapper who was holding his girlfriend captive at Perkins Rowe on Sunday night, causing a lengthy lockdown in the mall parking lot.

Within hours of Sunday’s incident, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office initially reported the shots and the resulting law enforcement presence was tied to a domestic situation. On Monday, however, the department shared details of the attack and said a suspect was arrested the following day.

The victim told deputies her attacker, later identified as 69-year-old Leon Curry III, approached her around 7.30pm as she was getting into her car in the parking lot. The woman said Curry pointed a gun at her and forced her into his own vehicle.

According to arrest documents, Curry then led the victim to another level of the parking lot and sexually assaulted her.

When Curry returned to the original level, the victim’s boyfriend attempted to enter the car, and Curry fled with the victim in the car.

The victim told deputies she jumped out of the vehicle before it turned onto Perkins Road while her boyfriend fired at the vehicle.

Curry was arrested by deputies on Monday after a traffic stop. According to documents, Curry told deputies he was in the area at the time of the incident and “enjoys watching the women there.”

When deputies caught up with Curry on Monday, they searched his vehicle and found several hats, masks and a semi-automatic handgun-inspired BB gun. It is unknown if the BB gun was the same weapon used by Curry during the abduction.

Curry was convicted of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault.

Deputies have also questioned the man who fired the gun, but he is not facing charges at this time.

BATON ROUGE — A man shot a kidnapper who was holding his girlfriend captive at Perkins Rowe on Sunday night, causing a lengthy lockdown in the mall parking lot.

Within hours of Sunday’s incident, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office initially reported the shots and the resulting law enforcement presence was tied to a domestic situation. On Monday, however, the department shared details of the attack and said a suspect was arrested the following day.

The victim told deputies her attacker, later identified as 69-year-old Leon Curry III, approached her around 7.30pm as she was getting into her car in the parking lot. The woman said Curry pointed a gun at her and forced her into his own vehicle.

According to arrest documents, Curry then led the victim to another level of the parking lot and sexually assaulted her.

When Curry returned to the original level, the victim’s boyfriend attempted to enter the car, and Curry fled with the victim in the car.

The victim told deputies she jumped out of the vehicle before it turned onto Perkins Road while her boyfriend fired at the vehicle.

Curry was arrested by deputies on Monday after a traffic stop. According to documents, Curry told deputies he was in the area at the time of the incident and “enjoys watching the women there.”

When deputies caught up with Curry on Monday, they searched his vehicle and found several hats, masks and a semi-automatic handgun-inspired BB gun. It is unknown if the BB gun was the same weapon used by Curry during the abduction.

Curry was convicted of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault.

Deputies have also questioned the man who fired the gun, but he is not facing charges at this time.

DUBLIN — Alameda County officials are moving forward with a long-delayed $34.5 million parking lot near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, slated to begin construction this summer.

Local and state politicians staged a groundbreaking ceremony for the garage about 3½ years ago, and a June 2020 county planning document indicated the garage would be completed by February 2022.

However, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors did not approve a construction contract for the project until late March, with construction beginning in August. The garage is expected to be completed by December 2023.

“This is not a typical timeline for a project,” District 1 Supervisor David Haubert said in an interview about the delays.

Haubert’s predecessor, Scott Haggerty, helped champion the project several years ago, and Haubert was at the inauguration in 2018, when he was mayor of Dublin.

Despite the delays, Haubert said he thinks the garage will be very useful to commuters in the future.

“I’m looking forward to a ribbon cutting and maybe a rededication,” he said.

The new county-owned five-storey garage will include over 500 parking spaces and will be built next to the current BART garage, on half of a 4-acre site on the corner of Iron Horse Parkway and Martinelli Way in Dublin. The other half of the land could be used for affordable housing in the future, Dublin officials say.

There were almost no public updates on the progress of the garage project between groundbreaking and the council’s approval of a $28.8 million contract with the Santa Claus contractor. Clara McCarthy Building Companies at its March 22 meeting.

Haubert said that as he worked with the General Service Agency to move the project forward, he acknowledged the board could have ensured there were more public updates on the project.

“In retrospect, when we were following all the letters of the law, so to speak, we could have had a more detailed discussion on this point. At least a staff report at a public meeting would have been good to do,” he said.

The contract includes a 5% contingency, instead of the normal 10%, to help keep the project within budget, Haubert said.

Up to $1 million of the contingency can be spent on change orders that can be authorized as needed by Kimberly Gasaway, acting director of the County General Service Agency, which oversees public works projects.

The garage project will cost approximately $34.5 million, which includes construction, initial design work, provident fund and soft costs such as construction management, utility connection fees, stormwater management and testing and inspections, Gasaway said.

The project has been delayed for a variety of reasons, Gasaway said, including turnover of senior county agency staff and project managers, and because the project involves a partnership between the county and the Livermore Amador Valley Transportation Authority.

Although a $20 million grant from the state Department of Transportation was one of the main sources of funding for the project, working out an agreement between Caltrans and the transit authority added to the delays, Gasaway said.

The garage project is also receiving $7 million in Metropolitan Transportation Commission Regional Measure 2 funds, an additional $7 million through Measure BB Transportation Sales Tax funds and $500,000 from Improvement Funds. of county assets, according to county documents.

“And then COVID came along and we had to identify which projects were critical,” she said, noting that some projects, like the Santa Rita prison, could have lifesaving implications and needed higher priority.

The General Services Agency was harshly criticized in a 2020 report by the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury, which wrote that many projects run by the agency “suffered from project management failures that contributed greatly to the delays and cost overruns”.

Haubert said the county “will have to manage change orders very closely and we will have to monitor this project very closely” so that it does not go over budget, particularly due to its lower contingency fund.

Despite the drop in ridership during the pandemic, Haubert and Gasaway said they believe the garage will be a boon once transit ridership rebounds.

According to BART, there are approximately 3,100 spaces already available near the station, between the existing BART garage and the BART surface lots. Before the pandemic, these spots filled up around 7:30 a.m. on a typical weekday, BART officials said.

Currently, BART is only seeing about 30% of its normal ridership compared to pre-pandemic, but in March the agency saw a 33% increase in ridership compared to February, likely in part due the reopening of more offices and the spike in gas prices linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Haubert said he’s optimistic ridership will continue to grow and the new garage will be well received by commuters, noting that traffic congestion on nearby freeways has already essentially returned to pre-pandemic levels.

“It’s going to fill up,” he said of the public transit.

“Everything indicates that we are already heading there. Garage parking was a must before, and I think it will be in the future.

MIAMI – The Miami City Police Department Headquarters parking lot was suddenly closed for security reasons.

A police recruit was jogging on the ramps and garage floors last month when a piece of concrete gave way.

“You can see through one of the parking lot levels,” Miami Police Chief Manny Morales said.

Inspectors came, including an engineer, on the 40-year-old recertification of the garage, and in a letter described the deterioration of the concrete and the lack of reinforcements.

“Concerns about sections of slabs between beams that have deteriorated due to spalling,” Miami Buildings Manager Ace Marrero said. “But the current main building is in good condition.”

Last month’s letter about the garage’s closure refers to the 2016 recertification, which cited “concrete damage that required attention…which had not been cleaned or repaired to date.”

This 2016 report is filled with photos of concrete cracks and exposed rebar.

A d

The engineer wrote that there was no risk to life safety, but that the deterioration of the concrete and the cracking “must be dealt with quickly”.

If the catastrophic building collapse at Surfside comes to mind, Marraro said that situation was not like that.

“The structure system was a concern at Surfside, it’s very different,” he said.

Meanwhile, there will be no on-site parking for the next few months for hundreds of police personnel.

“The only concern is with the employees who actually work in the building,” Morales said. “The vast majority of officers assigned to this station patrol the streets of Miami and that’s where I expect them to be.”

Just weeks after appointing the executive chef in charge of curating the Packing District food hall, the developer is pushing ahead with plans for the district’s first new office building and commercial parking lot which will open at the same time.

Dr. Phillips Charities has filed a master plan with the City of Orlando for the first phase of development in the southeast quadrant of the 212-acre mixed-use neighborhood. The plan calls for a four-story, 43,000 square foot office building and parking for 305 vehicles. CEO Ken Robinson said GrowthSpotter the company is already in talks with potential tenants.

“Each floor will be approximately 10,000 square feet, and one thing we can announce is that we will dedicate an entire floor to nonprofits,” Robinson said, noting that rents for those tenants will be below market rate. . “We want it to be an incubation space.”

Hunton Brady Architects designed the building, which will be immediately north of the food hall complex and will be visible from Orange Blossom Trail. The building mixes traditional red brick and metal on three sides, a nod to the district’s industrial past, with a glass wall that will face the courtyard and the future hotel to the north. The wall will feature electrochromic glass, which can lighten or darken depending on the seasonal position of the sun, time of day or weather conditions.

“You almost create an art element in the glass itself,” Robinson said. “It will have different impacts depending on whether it’s day or night, or whether it can be backlit.”

A monumental tower at the building’s northwest corner will be a perfect canvas to display the anchor tenant’s naming rights, Robinson added.

Dr. Phillips Charities announced on April 1 that New York chef Akhtar Nawab and his Hospitality HQ group would operate the 17,300 square foot venue to 11 vendors. The project is an adaptive reuse of the 1930s Great Southern Box Company building at 2105 N. Orange Blossom Trail. Work is expected to begin in August.

The car park, designed by finfrockwill be located in the northeast corner of the property next to the train tracks, where it can serve as an aural and visual buffer for the planned office building and future hotel at the intersection of Orange Blossom Trail and Princeton Street .

“We feel like aesthetically it works really well there,” Robinson said.

Dr. Phillips will not be involved in the construction or operation of the hotel. The developer is in talks with hotel companies and will likely sell that plot or do a ground lease, Robinson said. The southeast quadrant will also have a 4,000 square foot restaurant and bar and a 3,600 square foot micro-brewery.

Initially, the developer applied for a temporary permit from the city to build gravel parking lots for the food hall. But the pandemic delayed that project by nearly two years, putting it on roughly the same construction schedule as the office building. “The timing of the office building coming online at the same time as the food hall dictated that we go ahead and build the parking structure,” Robinson said, noting that all three would open. probably in September or October 2023.

Vertical construction of a new 27,512 square foot Publix will begin this summer on the site of Dr. Phillips’ original packing plant at the northeast corner of Princeton and Orange Blossom Trail. And in the southwest quadrant, several buildings were razed to make way for the first of three new apartment communities in the neighborhood.

Based in Texas Embrey Partners will add 350 units as part of the second phase of its Cannery multi-family community. Just south of this third-wave development will build the 293-unit “Northside Yards” community. Both projects will consist of five-storey mid-rise urban apartments with structured parking. The owners of the Princeton Commerce Center have also filed plans for new mixed-use residential buildings on their 10-acre site with rights for up to 600 homes and 20,000 square feet of office and retail space.

Do you have any advice on developing Central Florida? contact me at [email protected] or (407) 420-6261, or tweet me at @byLauraKinsler. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

A Brampton man has been arrested and a Canada-wide warrant has been issued for a second man in connection with the violent assault on Elnaz Hajtamiri in a Richmond Hill parking lot last December.

Hajtamiri – who was abducted in Wasaga in January and remains missing – was hit with a frying pan in an underground parking lot on King William Crescent in the Yonge Street and Bantry Avenue area of ​​Richmond Hill on December 20, 2021.

York Regional Police have now identified two suspects in connection with the parking garage attack.

Riyasat Singh, 23, of Brampton, was charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted murder, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and mischief under $5,000. He was arrested and taken into custody on April 13.

The second suspect has been identified as Harshdeep Binner, 23, of Brampton. He is wanted on the same charges and a Canada-wide warrant has been issued. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of this suspect or has other information about this case is urged to contact investigators.

Hajtamiri suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the December attack and police say she has recovered from those injuries. However, on January 12, 2022, she was reportedly taken from a home in Wasaga Beach by three suspects. She has since disappeared.

YRP said it was working closely with the Ontario Provincial Police to investigate the kidnapping.

Hajtamiri’s family, through her lawyer Devin Bains, said the police did not do enough to protect her after the car park attack and said “all measures taken to protect Elnaz were a failure. complete”.

Anyone with information relating to this case or the suspects is asked to call the YRP District #2 Criminal Investigations Bureau’s designated tip line at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7250. You can also leave an anonymous report with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online.

The Spring Street parking garage will be renovated to add a new elevator and have fully automated ticketing/payment options. Photo of PJ by Dennis Phillips

Automated tickets/payments and a new elevator are just some of the changes coming to Spring Street parking in Jamestown.

Mayor Eddie Sundquist said that by the end of the year, the Spring Street location should be fully automated for tickets/payments instead of one person handling the structure.

“We are moving to a new model with fully automated ramps”, he said. “There will be automatic machines and a virtual assistant in case something goes wrong.”

Sundquist said city officials were already hoping to have the Spring Street parking lot automated, but there were supply chain issues last year that prevented the change. He said the Cherry Street car park will also become automatic.

Last month, Jamestown City Council approved a resolution to purchase a new elevator for the Spring Street parking lot for $410,000. Sundquist said he doesn’t know when the new elevator will be installed, but it’s an upgrade that’s definitely needed.

“It will depend on when the parts arrive. It depends on the weather conditions and the parts,” he said. “We’ve had conversations with our supplier and he thinks most (supplies) are available, but that’s definitely a concern. We have found that sometimes items are available and sometimes (supplies) are now part of the supply chain problem. I wish there was more predictability.

City officials have been discussing improvements to the Spring Street parking garage since the fall of 2020. Improvements that have been made or will be made include 90 square feet of beam repairs; 50 square feet of carbon beam repairs; 50 square feet of concrete column upgrades; 135 square feet of concrete wall repairs; 163 square feet of concrete slab repairs; Replacement of 1,825 square foot concrete slabs; 2,000 linear feet of concrete crack repair; new light fixtures, new circulation membrane; and new line stripes.

The cost of the concreting work totals $798,734 and $172,880 for the access equipment. Including the elevator, the total cost of the renovation project is $1,492,880.

Sundquist said that to accompany the structural improvements, a beautification project will also take place on the Spring Street parking ramp. He said the city received a $5,000 grant that will be used to pay an artist to paint murals inside the parking ramp stairwell.

“In addition to the physical work required, we will also beautify the ramp using the grant we received,” he said. “We’ve heard from people who use the ramps that we need to work to upgrade our parking structures. The Spring Street ramp needed it the most.

Last year, Jeff Lehman, the city’s director of public works, said 2009 was the last time major renovations took place at the Spring Street parking lot.

It’s been more than 100 days since demolition crews began demolishing the old city-owned parking ramp next to the Binghamton Boscov department store.

The project to remove the dilapidated Water Street garage began a few days after Christmas.

City officials have not announced a completion date for the demolition project, which is being carried out by Gorick Construction.

Boscov vice-chairman Jacob Stein said Monday afternoon that steps had been taken to ensure the work would be “as minimally disruptive as possible”. He said “safety is the number one priority”.

Stein said Boscov officials worked closely to coordinate activities with the demolition crew. Some merchandise at the north end of the store was occasionally moved from certain sections at project stages.

The store entrances adjacent to the old Water Street garage and floors above the main level are out of service due to parking work.

Once the site of the old garage has been cleared, the construction of a new 549-space car park should begin. The garage replacement project has an estimated cost of $23 million.

After the new garage was completed, city officials said a 122-unit apartment complex would be built above it. The residential project is expected to cost at least $25 million.

Contact Bob Joseph, WNBF News reporter: [email protected].

For the latest story development news and updates, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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Green line service between Gare du Nord and the government center resumed on Saturday, two weeks after a deadly car park collapse sent tons of debris onto the streets above the tunnels.

Part of the Government Center parking lot collapsed on Saturday March 26, killing Peter Monsini, 51, of South Easton, and sending another person to hospital.

Immediately after the collapse, roads were closed and Orange and Green Line service was replaced with shuttles while investigators determined the safety of the structure. When Orange Line service resumed several days later, these shuttles were discontinued and passengers were directed to the Orange Line.

Trains have been and will continue to bypass Haymarket station on both lines until crews can complete repairs to the standpipe system, which has been damaged by the debris.

MBTA officials said more than 100 tons of debris had been removed directly above the Green Line and structural engineers had carefully assessed the tunnels to ensure their safety. Engineers will continue to monitor the tunnel for the immediate future.

Days after the partial collapse of the Boston Government Center parking lot, service on the Orange Line has largely returned to normal, but Green Line service in the area remains suspended. The shuttle service on this section of the Green Line is interrupted from Wednesday. Passengers are encouraged to use the orange line instead.

Parking lot collapse details

Part of the Government Center garage collapsed after a concrete slab on the ninth floor collapsed. The demolition is part of the $1.5 billion Bullfinch redevelopment project, construction firm John Moriarty & Associates said in a statement. The finished project should include a parking garage surrounded by office and apartment buildings.

Boston Fire Marshal Jack Dempsey told reporters that Monsini was completing demolition work in a construction vehicle that fell over the side of the garage when the structure collapsed around 5:40 p.m. Saturday.

The vehicle fell eight or nine stories with a large amount of debris. Monsini was found under a pile of rubble and pronounced dead at the scene by authorities, Dempsey said. A second person was taken to an area hospital after the accident.

The incident was the first fatal construction accident of the year in Massachusetts.

Peter Monsini was completing demolition work in a construction vehicle that rolled over the side of a Boston parking lot when the structure collapsed. Now an investigation is underway.

Emergency teams were called to the same site 2 months earlier

NBC10 Boston investigators uncovered a call for help at the same construction site months before the deadly collapse. Footage of the construction area from January 14 shows a major fire rescue response.

According to scanner audio from that night, firefighters were called to a “dangerous and unstable construction site involving a crane”. First responders originally planned to stage a rescue operation on Surface Road at New Chardon Street, but later determined this would not be necessary.

According to a police report, emergency crews responded after a burst water main caused a leak at the site. The report said a fire department detail was worried that a crane at the construction site would fall due to the water leak.

“Officers observed water coming from the construction site on New Chardon Street,” the report said.

Boston Water and Sewer responded to the leak and all streets within 300 feet of the construction site were closed to pedestrians and vehicles for safety reasons. The Boston Fire Department and Bay Crane ultimately determined the crane to be stable. The report said the site would be closed and the crane watched from the right until an engineer could inspect it. What this engineer found was not included in the report.

Investigation into car park collapse underway

A full-scale investigation into the collapse is currently being conducted by Boston police, the office of Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hayden said Monday his office was not ruling out the possibility of criminal charges.

“That some degree of negligence turns into criminality, that’s what our investigation will focus on,” Hayden said.

OSHA will play the lead role in the investigation, but local, state and federal authorities will also be involved, the district attorney’s office said.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city would do “whatever it takes” to find out what happened.

(The Center Square) – The 400-member New Hampshire House of Representatives has a big parking problem and a steep price tag to go along with it.

On Thursday, House members approved a plan to spend $35 million to demolish the House parking lot in downtown Concord and replace it with a new 600-space facility.

The proposal to build the garage was added as an amendment to another bill that seeks to expand regional vocational and technical education programs. He adopted voice voting.

The proposal, which must also pass through the state Senate and survive Governor Chris Sununu’s veto pen, also calls for the demolition of the Justice Department building adjacent to the State House and the existing parking lot. The measure does not include funding to rebuild the DOJ building, which includes the attorney general’s offices.

House lawmakers say the garage, which was built in 1974, has outlived its useful life and needs to be replaced to protect public safety.

Rep. Kate Murray, D-New Castle, said the garage was in a “serious state of disrepair” and pointed to the recent collapse of a garage in nearby Massachusetts that killed a worker.

“For years there have been discussions about the parking lot and whether it needs to be replaced,” she told fellow lawmakers. “But the can was always thrown on the road.”

Several Republican lawmakers have spoken out against the proposal, arguing that the state shouldn’t spend millions of dollars on a new garage.

“I know a new garage will have to be built,” State Rep. Louise Andrus, R-Salisbury, said in remarks ahead of the vote. “But I believe the time has not come and is not now.”

House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, presented the plan last month during a committee hearing where lawmakers discussed proposals to provide tax relief to taxpayers facing rising costs gas and fuel.

Packard said legislative leaders decided to fast-track the project after being told that the current downtown Concord garage’s lifespan was only about five years.

“Do I want to spend $35 million on parking? No. Do we have to? Yes,” Packard told members of the revenue committee during the hearing. “We can’t wait another year to put this on hold. I don’t want to be somewhere in three years where we don’t have room for our members to park.”

By Editorial team
|
to 07 April 2022

TROY, NY (NEWS10) – For years Uncle Sam’s parking lot was the perfect place to park if you were heading to downtown Troy, especially on weekends for the Farmers Market. But, since it was ordered closed by the city in July 2021, the property has stood empty.

NEWS10 spoke to the son of David Bryce, the owner of the garage, and he said plans are starting to materialize to demolish the structure. “We start by removing it in a way. Demolition will begin over the next month, once it is down it will be a temporary surface lot to bring more parking to the city,” says Denton Bryce.

On Wednesday, the windows were removed from the air bridge that connects the structure. Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello said crews are currently working to remove any asbestos that may remain on the property.

“On the one hand I’m really excited to hear that it’s about to be demolished over the next few months, on the other hand there’s the concern that I don’t want to see a pit in the middle of our town,” says Mantello.

The garage, which was built in 1974, was ordered to close after concerns about its structural integrity. According to Mantello, David Bryce is scheduled to meet with the city’s planning commission later this month. Mantello also says she would like to see a plan in place for the property within a year, a plan that includes trees to hide the demolition.

As for what’s next for the location, Denton Bryce wouldn’t reveal any details other than “keep your eyes peeled, it’ll be pretty exciting.”

In July 2021, City of Troy Mayor Patrick Madden said his office had received numerous complaints about the garage. After the city’s code enforcement and engineering departments inspected the garage, they deemed it unsafe. “Our engineer saw the conditions he was concerned about, so we closed the garage to protect the health and safety of the public,” says Madden. This is not the first time that the garage has closed for security reasons.

Sound Transit is seeking public input on the visual design options for a planned new car park in Kent for Sounder Train commuters.

The agency is improving access to Kent station for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and bus users, including building a parking garage with 534 spaces as well as improving pavements, bikes and buses . Construction of the garage is expected to begin in late 2023 and be completed in 2026. The garage will be at East James Street and Railroad Avenue North.

“Your feedback will help us determine the visual design of our new parking garage,” according to Sound Transit. “Should we stand out or blend in? Do you feel modern or classic? »

Here are the ways to participate:

• Visit the open day online until April 26 (available in English, Spanish and Russian).

• Attend the walk-in session: Thursday, April 14, 3:30-6:30 p.m., Kent Station, 301 Railroad Ave N, east platform near bus loop.

• Attend the virtual Q&A session: Monday, April 18, from noon to 1 p.m. (see link at https://kentstation.participate.online)

In 2017, Sound Transit worked closely with the City of Kent and collected community feedback to identify a site for new parking and other improvements. The Sound Transit Board then identified a “set of preferred improvements” that included East James Street and Railroad Avenue North as the new parking site, where the Washington Cold Storage building is located.

“We then created concept designs and performed the required environmental reviews,” according to Sound Transit. “We halted work on this project in 2020 due to financial uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and restarted in late 2021.”

In addition to the garage, the project includes:

• A new bus layover facility (funding partnership with King County Metro)

• Reconfigured pick-up/drop-off area

• Pedestrian improvements at the intersection of East Smith Street and Railroad Avenue North

• Sidewalk improvements and mid-block crossing on Railroad Avenue North, just north of East Smith Street

Voters approved additional Sounder parking garages in Kent, Auburn and Sumner in 2008 as part of the Sound Transit 2 package. The Sound Transit Board suspended the projects in 2010 due to the Great Recession when tax revenue sales for the agency were weaker than expected. The agency’s board reinstated garage funding in 2016 and now hopes to meet the final deadline.

Commuters now park at the Kent Station Garage, 301 Railroad Ave. N., which opened in 2001, just north of West Smith Street. The garage and surface lot offer 996 parking spaces, but they fill up quickly (at least before COVID-19), which is why the agency decided they needed a second garage.

Continued monks stories

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(Photo courtesy of Live Boston 617) The Boston Government Center parking lot collapse highlights the need for infrastructure initiatives to continue to prioritize human security over development.

Harrison Lee
Connector Editor

On March 26, a large portion of the Government Center parking lot in Boston collapsed, resulting in the death of Peter Monsini. Following Monsini’s death, the City of Boston continued to investigate the crash that resulted in the construction worker’s death. However, many still wonder how the accident happened and the dangerous likelihood of such an accident happening again based on Boston’s infrastructure construction and demolition practices.

According to Dr. TzuYang Yu of UMass Lowell, much of the supposed damage cannot be explained without understanding several components of infrastructure development. Yu, a professor of civil engineering, explained the differences between the design and construction phases of development and how “miscommunication between designers and construction contractors can arise due to overload.” Dr. Yu explained that with the extensive use of concrete in construction projects such as the parking lot, many temporary supports are used in the skeletal phase of the construction process. “Concrete is like a super baby,” Yu said. [and] construction could have removed [this] temporary support before it’s ready.

This overload is related to one of Dr Yu’s other theories regarding the cause of the collapse and how dynamic loading could also have played a role in the contractor’s efforts to meet the schedule at the expense of a quality solidification. The case of a vibrating jackhammer is a simple example of how quickly switching to another task before the concrete has completely sagged can disrupt long-term stability. “Winter time is generally not [permit the] concrete melting,” Yu said. So dynamic loading can definitely contribute to the factors leading to the crash.

Dr. Yu has also been a proponent and lead developer of solutions to prevent accidents, such as parking, using sensors known as early warning systems. Unfortunately, many contractors and construction companies don’t use these systems, and that’s not a financial concern, but rather an uncertainty of placing the sensors in the right places from the start.

One can wonder about the possibility of shifting the focus from the restoration and preservation of infrastructure to the construction of new structures. But it also comes with its own completeness. In a city like Boston, there is a lot of concern about balancing the preservation of historic sites with the construction of new structures. The city’s goal is to “find a way to protect [these] historical sites until all possibilities are exhausted. It also seems to be a reflection of Boston values, but given the city’s circumstances, it’s also not the easiest task to build from scratch. The same could be said of many other towns that have historic properties, including Lowell.

Unlike the Boston parking lot, the infrastructure initiatives underway in Lowell relate to the bridges that connect the city across the Merrimack River. Many of these bridges age rapidly and it is necessary to take measures to quickly prevent a dangerous accident. “The main thing is to protect human lives,” Dr Yu said.

“When we design structures, there is a design philosophy: the safety factor.” By multiplying the original design with some ability to anticipate ambient changes, designers in departments such as Dr. Yu’s can increase the longevity of a bridge’s lifespan, which Yu says should often last an average of 75 years. However, he continues, “in civil engineering, we know that structures age. What we don’t know is how fast they age. The question we have to ask ourselves is, how much should the city or the federal government step in, restoring the steel or building a new one? »

This comes down to determining whether initiatives should restore the infrastructure or remove the current structure and replace it entirely. This has proven to be a difficult two-way street, with restoration often resulting in bridge closures which slow down and slow down traffic. It also increases an environmental stress by lengthening the journey of commercial semi-trailer trucks that typically produce diesel exhaust.

Overall, every city is faced with building and updating to maintain the established infrastructure that makes places like the cities of Lowell and Boston. But through all the factors attributed to the design and construction phases of developing infrastructure, it seems important that cities continue to prioritize the safety of human life during ongoing development to avoid another accident like death. at the Government Center parking lot in the future.

Up to speed

CLEARWATER, FL – Months before the parking lot stairwell collapsed, killing a 23-year-old Brandon man, City of Clearwater inspectors declared it an unsafe structure and recommended that it undergo major repairs or that it be demolished.

On Monday, Clearwater police, fire department and building department officials forwarded their reports of the Dec. 20 parking lot collapse to the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office for action.

The four-storey car park has remained closed since the collapse that buried Mitchel Klock under tons of concrete. It took workers two days to recover his body.

In a report dated July 19, City Inspector Jason Cantrell said he determined the Plymouth Plaza parking lot at 26760 US 19 N. was an unsafe structure that was “dangerous to life, health, property or public safety”.

In a finding that turned out to be eerily accurate, Cantrell found the garage to be “so damaged, dilapidated, dilapidated, structurally unsafe or of faulty construction or unstable foundation that partial or complete collapse is possible” .

The Clearwater Planning and Development Department advised the owner of the garage, Plymouth Plaza LLC of Boca Raton, that the garage “creates a nuisance and is therefore subject to reduction, repair or demolition”.

If the owner chooses to repair the garage, Cantrell said the owner would have to hire a structural engineer to submit a report outlining all repairs. He included a list of structural issues that needed to be addressed, including construction, plumbing, electrical and mechanical repairs.

Cantrell ordered the owner to obtain the necessary permits and begin repairs within seven days of receiving the July 19 notice of an unsafe building from the city.

Cantrell’s report included 50 photos showing areas where concrete had crumbled, metal struts had deteriorated, and pipes and wiring had been compromised.

That same day, Cantrell said he contacted the owner’s representative, Elliot Katz, who said the owner had already hired a structural engineer to inspect the property. Katz said he was just waiting for the engineer to schedule a day for the inspection.

On August 30, Cantrell said he had not heard from Katz and emailed him asking about the status of the engineer’s report.

On October 12, Cantrell reported that he was still awaiting the structural engineer’s report.

Then, on Nov. 24, Cantrell said Katz told him he had found a contractor to do the repair work, though he had yet to submit the required structural engineer’s report.

Cantrell said that was the last communication he had with Katz before the staircase collapsed on Dec. 20.

Klock, an independent contractor who recently started his own welding business and proudly posted the acquisition of his first company truck on his Facebook page, began repairing the staircase on the morning of Monday, December 20. He hired Demoris Matthews to help him. with work.

At 12:26 p.m., Clearwater Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene to find that the concrete stairwell had collapsed. Matthews met firefighters in the parking lot and told them a co-worker was trapped between the collapsed landings.

Matthews was hit by falling debris, but refused to be treated by paramedics at the scene.

In an interview with Clearwater police on January 3, Matthews admitted that neither man wore safety harnesses or shoring while working on the stairs. They were in the process of cutting the rusted metal brackets from the staircase, but had not yet installed the new brackets when the collapse occurred.

Klock and his wife, Alexis, had been married for less than a year, but had been dating since they met in college in 2012. They both graduated from Riverview High School in 2017.

Alexis Klock retained the services of an attorney and says he received a copy of the reports filed by the city on Monday.

Patch left a message for Zev Freidus, who is listed as the sole agent and owner of Plymouth Plaza LLC, asking for a comment on the reports. He hasn’t called back yet.

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The Center Wheeling parking garage will be cashless starting Monday, city officials announced.

WHEELING – Anyone parking at the Center Wheeling Parking Structure starting Monday won’t be digging into their pockets to pay.

The facility will go cash-free that day, city officials announced Friday. Those who park there will either need to have a monthly pass or use the ParkMobile app on their phone. Starting Monday, the garage attendant will no longer accept cash for hourly parking.

“New signage has been posted in the parking structure to provide information to drivers on how to pay for parking through their smartphones,” Deputy City Manager Bill Lanham said.

Parking garages in other cities whose parking attendants do not take cash often have pay stations where people take a ticket when they enter a garage and can pay cash or card when they leave. Lanham said Friday that for this installation, cashless and contactless work best.

“We find this way of paying for parking easier and more convenient,” he said. “These methods are instituted in three other lots in the city and it works well. Additionally, we have learned a lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic that people prefer contactless transactions. »

The ParkMobile app is free and available for Android and Apple devices. Users can also scan a QR code or send an SMS to a designated number. These codes and numbers appear on signs posted inside the Center Wheeling parking structure.

Those interested in monthly parking can obtain a pass at the Central Market Garage office or the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center office for a fee of $34 per month.

The City of Wheeling launched ParkMobile in October 2020 and is now available in over 1,200 parking spaces around the city at metered and off-street parking lots.

JACKSON COUNTY FACILITY MAINTENANCE

PUBLIC WORKS

INVITATION TO TENDER

Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received by Adam Trautman, Project Manager, Jackson County Facilities Maintenance at the Jackson County Courthouse, 10 S. Oakdale Suite 208, Medford, Oregon 97501, until at 2:00 p.m. local time on the 5th^and May Day 2022. Information is available on the Jackson County website.

JACKSON COUNTY HHS PARKING GARAGE REPAIR

Located at: located at 140 S Holly St Medford Oregon 97501

Project description:The parking structure at Jackson County Mental Health Center, Medford, Oregon is an eight (8) story steel framed building that uses galvanized metal decks with reinforced concrete as the parking surface . The facility’s parking structure was completed in 2014 and is currently in use for its intended purpose. The purpose of this project is to provide the corrective actions necessary to correct defects in building components and resulting property damage. See ITB and project documents for more information

Mandatory Pre-Submission Conference Date: April 14, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. PST

Mandatory conference location prior to submission: HHS Parking Garage 140 S Holly St Medford 97501.

We will meet at the main entrance to the HHS facility located between Ivy and Holly St.

Bid closing date: May 5, 2022

Bid closing time: 2:00 p.m., based on the atomic digital clock in room 208

Approximate start date: Monday, July 7, 2022

Approximate completion date: Fall 2022

See the official Jackson County ITB for details.

All bids received in good and due form will be publicly opened at the time and place indicated above. Bids submitted after the above date and time will not be accepted. The Agency may, at its discretion, postpone such action after the opening, for the period specified in the Agency’s Instruction to Bidders, during which time the bids will be irrevocable and open to public inspection. Agency may reject for cause any or all Offers, or may waive any formality in Offers, all in its sole discretion, if Agency concludes that it is in the public interest to do so.

Instructions to bidders and all other contract documents may be viewed at the agency office or at the Medford Builders Exchange located at 701 East Jackson, Medford. Bid folders containing all these instructions and other contract documents can be purchased at the builder’s local exchange, location and times vary.

To be eligible to bid, all Proponents must register with the Project Manager listed in the RFP and attend the pre-tender walk.

Each Bidder must contain a statement indicating whether the Bidder is a Resident Bidder as defined in ORS 279A.120. A copy of the specifications and tender documents are on file and can be obtained from the local Builder’s Exchange. This form is included in the ITB package.

All offers are subject to applicable requirements of ORS Chapters 279, 279A, 279B, 279C, and 701, and Jackson County Facility Maintenance Regulations.

A tender security in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the tender, and in the form prescribed in the instructions to tenderers, must accompany each tender. The tender security of unsuccessful tenderers will be returned or reimbursed according to the methods provided for in the instructions to tenderers.

All work is subject to ORS Chapters 279C.800 through 279C.870.

The Agency will not receive or consider a bid unless the Proponent is registered in good standing with the Builders Council, as required by law.

Jackson County Facility Maintenance

Adam Trautman 541-774-6974

[email protected]

Police have identified a Northwell Health employee who was fatally shot in a Long Island parking lot.

Amelia Laguerre, 33, of St. Albans, Queens, was found shot dead in North New Hyde Park around 4:10 p.m. on Thursday, March 31.

Arriving officers found Laguerre with multiple gunshot wounds being treated by local medical personnel at the facility, Nassau County Police said.

She was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead by a hospital doctor, police said.

At a news conference Friday, April 1, Nassau County Police Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said Laguerre was shot five times by someone waiting for her in the garage.

Calling the incident a “targeted incident”, Fitzpatrick added that the suspect remains at large.

Laguerre had worked for the health care system for 10 years, officials said.

“Northwell is providing counseling services to team members at the scene and mourns the heartbreaking loss of our colleague and team member,” a Northwell Health spokesperson said.

Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.

All callers will remain anonymous.

This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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The shooting happened just after 4 p.m. Thursday on Marcus Avenue in New Hyde Park in a parking lot used by Northwell Health and other offices in the same building.

When police arrived on the scene, they found Amelia Laguerre, 33, with multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken care of by the medical staff of the establishment.

Laguerre was then taken to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Nassau County Police are currently investigating.

Northwell Health released a statement saying,

“In the late afternoon, a Northwell employee was shot and killed in the publicly accessible parking garage of our facility at 1999 Marcus Avenue, a collection of medical and specialty care practices. Several crew members rushed to the scene and the victim was transported to an area hospital and pronounced dead. We refer all other questions to the Nassau County Police Department, which is actively investigating the incident. Northwell is providing counseling services to team members at the scene and mourns the heartbreaking loss of our colleague and team member.”

No other injuries were reported.

In an email to employees, Northwell Health said it was an apparent domestic dispute.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS
READ ALSO | A 60-year-old owner was shot in the head inside a pawnshop in Queens

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A Long Island healthcare worker was fatally shot in a parking lot near the facility where she worked, her employer said in a statement.

The victim, a 33-year-old woman who has not yet been identified, was shot multiple times in the Marcus Avenue underground car park in New Hyde Park just after 6 p.m., according to police sources.

The publicly accessible garage is adjacent to doctors’ offices and specialist care practices, said a spokesperson for Northwell Health, where the woman was on staff.

Other Northwell employees provided immediate medical attention at the scene in an effort to save his life. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Northwell Health said, referring all further questions to Nassau County police.

It is unclear what led to the shooting. Nassau police say a man was seen fleeing the scene, heading west on Union Turnpike. It is not known what led to the shooting, or if the victim knew the attacker.

Nassau police have released very few details, but it appears no arrests have been made.

Northwell Health said it was providing counseling services to some of its staff as colleagues mourned the violent death of their colleague.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority reveals next steps for fully reopening the Green Line after a Boston parking lot partially collapsed – the result of a fatal construction accident.

The MBTA said seismographs will monitor vibrations underground inside its tunnels while crews above ground clean up debris and rubble.

Once the debris has been cleared, surface inspections could take place starting this weekend.

The data will hopefully provide the MBTA with an indication of the safety of restarting service in the region.

Green Line service between North Station and Government Center has been suspended since last Saturday’s fatal partial collapse of the Government Center car park at 1 Congress St.

The collapse, which officials say was the result of a construction accident, claimed the life of Peter Monsini, 51, of South Easton.

On Tuesday, the MBTA resumed Orange Line subway service between North Station and Back Bay Station after the MBTA structural engineering team determined it was safe to resume service in that section after an inspection of the infrastructure and subsequent testing of trains in tunnels.

The MBTA encourages Green Line customers to use the Orange Line parallel service until further notice. These customers can make underground transfers to the Orange Line at both North Station and Park Street Station.

The demolition of the Government Center parking lot has been going on for several years.

Demonstration work began in December 2016 as part of a project to build a six-building mixed-use development called Bulfinch Crossing.

The Bulfinch Crossing project includes a 1 million square foot office tower, a hotel and what will be Boston’s tallest apartment tower at 45 stories.

Click here for the most up-to-date service information regarding MBTA diversions related to the partial Government Center parking lot collapse.