close

square feet

Parking spaces

In 2021, Boston planners approved more parking spaces than homes – StreetsblogMASS

by Deena S. Hawkins on

According to year-end statistics compiled by the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), Boston city planners have approved dozens of construction projects in 2021 that could give the city 7,887 new homes, 6 million square feet of new commercial space and enough parking to store 8,668 more cars.

Nearly three-quarters of this new parking lot — 6,441 spaces — would be built in transit-accessible neighborhoods within a quarter-mile of an MBTA station.

During 2021, the BPDA approved 71 new development projects which include a combined total of 17.1 million square feet of real estate within the city limits.

Most of these new projects include a housing component, either in purely residential apartment buildings or in mixed projects:

BPDA 2021 project approvals for mixed-use and residential developments

“TOD” indicates “transit-oriented development” – projects located within a quarter mile of an MBTA rapid transit or commuter rail station. Source: BPDA

Purely residential projects Total in TOD % TOD
Number of projects 29 12 41%
Housing units 2,352 1,226 52%
Parking spaces 1,114 481 43%
Mixed-use projects Total in TOD % TOD
Projects 29 20 69%
Housing units 5,535 4,550 82%
Residential Square Feet 5,305,476 4,390,132 83%
Commercial sq.ft. 2,503,372 1,364,697 55%
Parking spaces 3,620 2,615 72%

Of the 29 purely residential developments the BPDA has approved in 2021, developers plan to build 2,352 new apartments and 1,114 new parking spaces – roughly one parking space for every 2 apartments.

But among the subset of 12 subdivisions that would be within a quarter-mile of an MBTA rapid transit or commuter rail station, the parking ratio was slightly lower: a total of 481 new spaces. parking space for 1,226 apartments (approximately 0.4 spaces per dwelling unit).

Related:

StreetsblogUSA: Apartments with free parking reduce transit ridership

The BPDA also approved 29 mixed-use projects in 2021, and collectively those projects could give Boston about 5,535 new homes, 2.6 million square feet of office, retail and other non-residential space, and 3,620 parking spaces – approximately two parking spaces for every three apartments. However, it is likely that some of these parking spaces will be reserved for the commercial tenants of these buildings.

Compared to previous years, the parking ratio per dwelling for residential and mixed-use projects has decreased.

In 2019, the agency approved 4,762 new homes as well as sufficient parking for 4,773 cars in residential and mixed-use projects – approximately one parking space for each apartment.

In 2020, this ratio fell slightly, to around 0.9 parking spaces per dwelling.

Related:

Boston planners approved more than 11,000 new parking spaces in 2020

However, BPDA non-residential project approvals in 2021 had significantly more associated parking than in previous years.

The agency has approved 10 office and laboratory projects as well as three institutional projects that collectively propose to build 3,934 new parking spaces:

BPDA 2021 Project Approvals for Commercial and Institutional Developments

“TOD” indicates projects located in transit-oriented neighbourhoods. Source: BPDA

Purely commercial projects
Total in TOD % TOD
Projects ten 8 80%
Total square footage 2,178,420 1,934,233 89%
Parking spaces 2,454 2,368 96%
Purely institutional projects
Total in TOD % TOD
Projects 3 2 67%
Total square footage 2,282,252 1,816,150 80%
Parking spaces 1,480 977 66%

In 2019, the BPDA approved 9 commercial or institutional projects with 2.4 million square feet of space and only 237 new parking spaces. And in 2020, the BPDA approved 2.3 million square feet of non-residential projects that collectively had only 200 attached parking spaces.

The increase in non-residential parking garage approvals this year can be partly explained by the types of applicants seeking BPDA approvals in 2021. While many non-residential projects in 2019 and 2020 were associated with universities, which tend to have lower parking demands, the BPDA’s program in 2021 included two large hospital expansions that insisted on spending health care dollars on large on-site parking lots.

One of the largest institutional project approvals this year was the Massachusetts General Hospital Expansion near Charles Circle. This project proposes to build a massive six-level underground parking garage for 977 cars next to traffic-congested Charles Circle in Boston’s West End (the project would also help build a proposed new subway platform for an extension of the MBTA blue line).

A handful of projects the BPDA has approved in 2021 would avoid building any on-site parking. The Boston Housing Authority final phase of the development of the HLM Old Colony districtwhich the BPDA Board approved in April, would replace 208 existing apartments and add an additional 134 affordable apartments in three new buildings with no off-street parking at the east end of the neighborhood, adjacent to Moakley Park.

And in Jamaica Plain, a short walk from the Green Street Orange Line stop, the BPDA has approved a new 5-story building (see rendering at the top of this article) that would provide housing for 38 low-income senior households. , plus a new street-level dining space for the El Embajador restaurant.

However, the owners of the adjacent Turtle Swamp Brewery sued to block this accommodation, specifically citing its lack of parking in their complaint.

Partly in response to lawsuits like that, the BPDA and the City of Boston passed two significant parking reforms late last year that could further reduce the number of parking lots that future developments can build.

End DecemberMayor Wu signed a new zoning ordinance that will eliminate minimum parking mandates for residential projects where at least 60% of new homes would be limited income for low- and middle-income households.

And in October, the BPDA passed new planning guidelines that will impose maximum parking limits for large developments, with stricter limits applying in the most walkable and transit-accessible areas of the city.

read more
Parking garage

Four-story parking garage provided behind Parkview

by Deena S. Hawkins on

A new 200-space, four-story car park may soon appear behind the Parkview on Poplar Avenue in Midtown.

The seniors’ apartment complex on the west side of Overton Park currently has only 66 on-site parking spaces, although code requires about 205 for the 137-unit building.

The concept plans were to be presented Thursday at a meeting of the Evergreen Historic District Association’s board of directors.

Renderings show the 44-foot-tall garage would sit on the west side of the building, at the corner of Poplar and Buena Vista Place. Drivers entered the garage through an alley leading to Poplar.

MEMPHIS DEVELOPMENT:Where are Tom Intrator’s Pinch District and Downtown projects?

INDUSTRIAL SPACE IN MEMPHIS:Memphis has added 45 million square feet of industrial space since 2012. What’s behind the growth?

A floor plan of the proposed 200-space parking garage at Parkview shows the garage located at the corner of Poplar Avenue and Buena Vista Square.

The design plans show that the garage would be covered with an exterior screen to make it more aesthetic. Landscaping, including tall trees, is also provided to somewhat shield the structure from view.

Because the Evergreen Historic District is listed as a National Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, new construction must go through the Memphis Landmarks Commission.

The district encompasses 53 square miles in Midtown. It is roughly bordered by North Parkway to the north, East Parkway to the east, Poplar to the south, and Watkins Street to the west.

Built in 1923, the Parkway is currently about 50% occupied, according to the presentation.

Corinne S Kennedy covers economic development and healthcare for The Commercial Appeal. She can be contacted by email at [email protected]

read more
Parking garage

Public art commissioned for the Scioto Peninsula parking lot

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Earlier this month, the City of Columbus announced that four artists have been tapped to create new public art installations on the Starling Garage, which is currently under construction on the site of The Peninsula development. These four artists include local muralists Adam Hernandez, Nick Stull and Lucie Shearer, as well as architecture and design firm Studio KCA.

The public art was commissioned by the City of Columbus with a budget of $250,000 through the Columbus Art Commission. A total of 81 applications were submitted for the project.

“These vibrant works of art will strengthen our sense of community connection by celebrating our city’s diversity, openness and optimism,” Mayor Andrew J. Ginther said in a press release. “Drawing inspiration from the natural beauty, rich history and cultural diversity of Franklinton and the Scioto Mile, these artists and their respective works of art will invite guests to The Peninsula to reflect on who we are as a community. and what we will become.

(left to right) “Scioto Magic” by Lucie Shearer, “Creative Consciousness” by Nick Stull” and “Vejigante Godmask” by Adam Hernandez.

Three of the works will take the form of murals while Studio KCA’s installation is a sculpture of bird figures called ‘Gather and Flow’ which will illuminate with LED lighting at night.

Installation of the public artwork will take place this spring before the garage opens in June.

The first phase of the peninsula development includes four buildings in addition to the two parking structures. These four buildings will house more than 230,000 square feet of office space, 329 residential units and a 198-room hotel. Phase two will feature a 34-story mixed-use tower that will include a mix of residences, retail offices and parking.

“On the peninsula, we’re building places where people can live, work and play, and public art is part of the unique urban fabric that will make it a popular destination,” said CDDC Chair Amy Taylor. “We are thrilled the city is showcasing such talented artists, who have captured the soul of this new neighborhood, embracing the bend in the Scioto River that literally defines the peninsula while embodying energy, inclusion and openness. of Columbus.”

For more information, visit columbusddc.com/scioto-peninsula.

read more
Parking spaces

Monmouth Mall plans to become smaller and reduce parking spaces

by Deena S. Hawkins on

EATONTOWN, NJ – There are big changes on the horizon for Monmouth Mall:

First, Kushner Cos., the property developer and owner of the Monmouth Mall, wants to demolish the existing three-story car park on the site.

In its place, Kushner plans to build a flat parking lot, in the same location as the parking lot. However, the car park will accommodate far fewer cars: The overall number of parking spaces will be reduced by 638 spaces.

“This is a former parking lot that has deteriorated over time and has been deemed unsafe for pedestrians and vehicles,” said Michael Sommer, vice president of development and construction at Kushner Cos.

This month, Kushner Cos. asked the City of Eatontown to approve his request to demolish the garage; Eatontown will issue a decision in March.

Second, demolishing the parking lot is actually part of Kushner Cos’ larger plan. to reduce retail space in the Monmouth Mall by 25,000 square feet. The company has yet to describe how it will reduce the size of the mall and where the disposals will take place.

“As you know, there are a lot of vacancies at the mall,” Sommer told Patch on Thursday.

Kushner Cos. is owned by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former President Donald Trump. The company was started by Charles Kushner and the Kushners are the developers of Pier Village in Long Branch. Charles Kushner and his wife still live in Long Branch to this day.

Third, last year the City of Eatontown declared the mall “an area in need of redevelopment.” This means that the borough will create a redevelopment plan, which will most likely alter what is built at the mall. Depending on what this redevelopment plan says, it may also change the zoning of the mall, perhaps adding residential zoning.

Eatontown has previously stated that it would be acceptable to have residential units in the mall: in 2018, the city approved Kushner Cos. to build 700 apartments in the mall; there was a significant pushback from residents who lived nearby. But this proposal is currently on the back burner.

“We haven’t backed down from (this idea),” Sommer warned Thursday. “However, in the current retail environment, we need to determine what are the highest and best uses for the mall. In terms of our overall vision (for Monmouth Mall), we are planning a significant redevelopment for the remaining retail and other businesses on-site, to be successful not just today, but long-term into the future.”

There was also a plan to build outdoor pedestrian corridors and outdoor plazas at the mall, but that idea was also scrapped by the developer.

Last spring, Kushner Cos. took full ownership of Monmouth Mall, buying out its partner Brookfield Properties, the Asbury Park Press.

According to this report in The Real Deal, Brookfield and Kushner both defaulted on a loan at the start of the pandemic, when all businesses in the state were forced to close, putting the entire mall at immediate risk of foreclosure . But Kushner then bought a $110 million loan for the property at auction, saving the mall and becoming the sole owner.

Although Kushner Cos. has made it clear that it wants to retain ownership of the shopping centre, what does the future hold for Monmouth Shopping Centre? That remains to be seen.

Construction is also underway on an RWJBarnabas Health outpost at the mall. It is planned to be a two-building medical complex next to the Boscovs. It will provide pediatric care, women’s health, emergency care and family welfare.

The first building is expected to open in the coming months, Sommer said.

Receive good local news. Subscribe to Patch: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: [email protected]

read more
Parking garage

TM Montante Accelerates Gates Circle Redevelopment With Car Park Relaunch | Business premises

by Deena S. Hawkins on

“It was a building that was in disrepair. There’s a huge facade on Linwood that wasn’t visually appealing,” Campos said. “This site is now live. It looks good. And that’s very important.”

The former city-owned ramp was acquired by Montante in 2019 for $1.7 million, as part of the developer’s larger project to redevelop the old hospital, which was closed a decade ago by Kaleida Health. Master plans require

So far, Montante has sold parts of the campus to Canterbury Woods and People Inc. for new senior housing projects, and has just converted a former medical office building at 1275 Delaware into 33 apartments and retail space. All apartments are rented and the Tacos restaurant, Community & Beer and a Pilates studio have opened, with Campos hoping to sign a third commercial tenant within weeks.

“We get good commercial tenants who engage with the site, who see and feel the vision,” Campos said.

The next phase involves a $40 million renovation of the hospital’s remaining historic homeopathic buildings, in a joint venture between Montante and Belmont Housing for Western New York.

Belmont will transform the three north buildings – totaling 77,000 square feet – into 70 affordable apartments in a $25 million project, while Montante is spending $15 million on the 70,000 square foot south buildings, which will contain 50 apartments , plus retail space in a 7,000-square-foot one-story addition overlooking the new Lancaster Square.

read more
Parking spaces

Centurion Union’s new 5-story building will feature 105 public parking spaces with residence above

by Deena S. Hawkins on

The Union Township Planning Board has approved the fifth phase of Centurion Labor Centerpaving the way for the start of construction of a new residential building that will include much-needed public parking spaces, according to an announcement Monday from Markwhich has been appointed as the redeveloper of the Stuyvesant Avenue redevelopment project.

Rendering of the Centurion project. (Reference)

The final step in the revitalization of downtown Union, the new five-story building will include a two-story parking lot with 105 spaces on the ground floor for public use. Three residential floors above will house 85 luxury rental residences, with the second floor of the garage containing 107 parking spaces reserved for Centurion residents.

Located at 968 Bonnel Court, the building will join previous phases of residences, modern amenities and street-level retail space completed by Landmark.

“Throughout the planning and development of this project, we worked closely with the township to ensure Centurion was a catalyst in transforming Union Center into a vibrant downtown,” said Manny Fernandez, founder of Landmark. “We remained aware of the needs of the community as a whole and committed to providing all the elements to make the downtown area welcoming to current and new residents, local businesses and customers. These efforts have focused on the collective vision of Union Center, and the addition of over 100 new public parking spaces will help us fully realize this vision.

When completed, Centurion Union Center will include more than 320 new residences and approximately 27,000 square feet of retail space in five buildings along Stuyvesant Avenue in the township’s downtown district, which had never seen no new residential construction for over three decades.

The first phase of 80 luxury apartments was launched for rental in September 2020 and quickly rented. The second phase of the community of 75 residences and seven retailers is practically rented just two months after its opening. Centurion Union is also home to many local retailers, including Unity Bank, Emily’s Bakery, Illusions Hair, Norma’s Florist, Angie’s Nails, and the soon-to-open Qsina 8 Ramen Noodle/Asian themed restaurant.

read more
Parking spaces

Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson NJ to lose parking spots

by Deena S. Hawkins on

PATERSON – More than half of the parking lot in the 314-space garage built as part of the renovation of the Hinchliffe stadium has been reserved for tenants of new housing planned in the district.

The developers have said that 85 of Hinchliffe’s parking spaces will be reserved for residents of a 127-unit apartment complex on Totowa Avenue that received approval from the Paterson Planning Council on Monday evening.

The developers at Hinchliffe said they had previously reserved 75 seats in the stadium garage for tenants who will live in the senior citizen building which is part of the $ 94 million stadium project.

Critics have claimed tenant parking leases will create problems by using space in a garage they say was not large enough to accommodate the 7,000-seat stadium from the start.

But supporters of the plan have claimed there will be enough space available in the parking lot for people attending the high school sports that will make up most of the stadium’s activities. They said events that draw larger crowds – like the mayor’s hopes for a Major League Baseball game in honor of Hinchliffe’s legacy in the Black Leagues – would use a network of other parking lots. to Paterson with shuttles.

Paterson’s Director of Economic Development Michael Powell said the parking leases for tenants at Totowa Avenue housing will ensure the viability of the Hinchliffe garage by providing income at times when there is no stadium events.

Hinchliffe Stadium is featured from Maple Street in Paterson. Thursday 23 December 2021

Powell and Hinchliffe developer Baye Wilson said he didn’t expect the 75 parking spaces reserved for the senior citizen building to be used because older residents are less likely to have cars . Powell and Wilson also said they didn’t expect the stadium’s new garage to provide capacity for everyone attending major events in Hinchliffe.

“People are going to have to walk,” said Powell.

But members of Paterson City Council who represent Ward 1, where Hinchliffe is located, and Ward 2, which is a few blocks away, said they expected mayor issues due to the lack of parking.

“I hope you are joking?” First Ward Councilor Michael Jackson said when told about the arrangement to reserve 85 seats in the stadium garage for the new accommodation. “I’m speechless. The level of poor planning here is numbing.

Public security:Paterson’s drug arrests of non-residents increase 77% in 2021, according to police department

COVID delays:5 Paterson cops convicted of corruption case remain free as pandemic delays 6 trial

Shahin Khalique, city councilor for Ward 2, said allocating seats in what he described as an undersized stadium garage to tenants would make the situation worse.

“It doesn’t make sense to me,” Khalique said.

For more than 18 months, Khalique has been calling for a traffic study on the impact of the stadium on the surrounding streets, which almost all have only one lane in each direction.

Powell said the city recently got a grant of $ 250,000 that can be used to look at traffic issues. He said he doesn’t think Paterson needs big transportation projects to handle Hinchliffe’s customers. He said installing traffic lights at key locations, such as the intersection of Maple and Wayne Avenues, as well as the use of traffic police, might be sufficient.

The story continues after the gallery

The town planning council voted unanimously to approve the new 127-apartment project on Totowa Avenue, one block from Hinchliffe, proposed by Bergen County-based developer Billy Procida. The developer would convert a former industrial building into housing and 6,779 square feet of retail space.

100 Renard Totowa, LLC of Procida bought the property for $ 5.5 million last June from David Garsia, the owner of the Art Factory complex. In 2018, Procida’s investment firm provided Garsia with a $ 12.5 million line of credit to borrow money to renovate the Act Factory complex on Spruce Street. Garsia said the money from the sale of the Totowa Avenue land was used to pay off this previous debt.

Prior to the mixed-use project approved on Monday, developers planned to convert the site into a storage facility. But Mayor Andre Sayegh’s administration was not happy with the plan, as officials said it would not match the mayor’s plans to revitalize the Hinchliffe area.

This rendering shows a planned residential development on Totowa Avenue in Paterson

Wilson, the builder of Hinchliffe, praised the new Totowa Avenue mixed-use plan.

“I think this is a major project not just for Hinchliffe but for all of Paterson,” Wilson said of Procida’s plans.

Powell said the development of Totowa Avenue will help transform the neighborhood. But Jackson said the project represents what he described as the mayor’s latest effort to over-develop the city at the expense of the quality of life of the city’s residents.

“The mayor doesn’t care about the Patersonians,” Jackson said. “All he wants to do is sell the town to anyone who wants to give to his countryside.”

State campaign finance records show no donation from Procida or her company to Sayegh. But the mayor has received tens of thousands of dollars in developer contributions with other projects in Paterson.

Joe Malinconico is editor-in-chief of Paterson Press. E-mail: [email protected]

read more
Parking spaces

Love’s adds hundreds of truck parking spaces in five new locations

by Deena S. Hawkins on
Love’s new location in Fillmore, Utah is shown. (Courtesy of Love’s)

OKLAHOMA CITY – Love’s Travel Stops now serves customers in Heflin, Alabama; Kimball, South Dakota; Fillmore, Utah, and Leavenworth, Indiana, thanks to four stores that opened Thursday morning.

A fifth store in Klamath Falls, Oregon, opened on Friday. Together, the stores will add more than 380 truck parking spaces and more than 280 jobs in their respective communities.

“For only the second time in Love’s history, we are opening five new locations in one day that will be ready to help customers get back on the road quickly and safely,” said Greg Love, co-CEO of Love’s. “Our team members in Klamath Falls, Heflin, Kimball, Fillmore and Leavenworth will provide customers with the freeway hospitality they expect when they stop at Love’s.”

Pitches are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Equipment is broken down by location below:

Klamath Falls, Oregon

  • Over 13,000 square feet
  • Carl’s Jr. (Opening January 17)
  • 94 truck parking spaces
  • 80 parking spaces
  • Seven diesel bays
  • Five showers
  • laundry room
  • Cat scale
  • Gourmet coffee beans
  • Branded snacks
  • Fresh cooking concept
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories

Heflin, Alabama

  • Over 12,000 square feet.
  • Bojangles. (Opening January 10)
  • 72 truck parking spaces.
  • 57 parking spaces.
  • Four RV parking spaces.
  • Seven RV hookups.
  • Eight diesel bays.
  • Seven showers.
  • Laundry room.
  • Cat scale.
  • Speedco. (Opening later)
  • Gourmet coffee beans.
  • Branded snacks.
  • Fresh cooking concept.
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories.
  • Dog park.

Kimball, South Dakota

  • Over 12,000 square feet.
  • Godfather’s Pizza and Subway. (Opening January 10)
  • 68 truck parking spaces.
  • 48 parking spaces.
  • Five RV slots.
  • Six diesel bays.
  • Five showers.
  • Laundry room.
  • Cat scale.
  • Gourmet coffee beans.
  • Branded snacks.
  • Fresh cooking concept.
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories.
  • Dog park.

Fillmore, UT

  • Over 11,000 square feet
  • Taco John’s (Opening January 10)
  • 73 truck parking spaces
  • 58 parking spaces
  • Two VR spaces
  • Eight diesel bays
  • Seven showers
  • Laundry room (Opening later)
  • Cat scale
  • Speedco (Opening later)
  • Gourmet coffee beans
  • Branded snacks
  • Fresh cooking concept
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories
  • dog park

Leavenworth, Indiana

  • Over 12,000 square feet
  • Hardee’s (Opening February 14)
  • 75 truck parking spaces
  • 50 parking spaces
  • Three RV parking spaces
  • Nine RV hookups
  • Seven diesel bays
  • Five showers
  • laundry room
  • Cat scale
  • Speedco (Opening later)
  • Gourmet coffee beans
  • Branded snacks
  • Fresh cooking concept
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories
  • dog park
The Trucker News Team

The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content not only for TheTrucker.com, but also for The Trucker Newspaper, which has served the trucking industry for over 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News team aims to provide relevant and objective content regarding the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News team is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Omnitracs

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′; n.tail=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘959373277500486’); fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);

read more
Parking garage

Amherst Councilor Holds Vote Authorizing Parking Garage

by Deena S. Hawkins on

AMHERST – Decisions on zoning changes to create a parking overlay district in downtown Amherst and to require mixed-use buildings to have a minimum of commercial space on the ground floor, are delayed to the prerogative of a municipal councillor.

At Monday’s city council meeting, where four zoning amendments were being considered, District 5 Councilman Darcy DuMont asked for two of the items to be deferred.

City Manager Paul Bockelman said on Tuesday that the two postponed zoning changes are on the agenda for a meeting of the City Services and Outreach Committee at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, although he added that he there was uncertainty as to whether votes would be held that evening.

Zoning changes are also on the agenda of a ‘four-town’ meeting on Saturday where regional school issues, including the assessment formula that will determine how much each community will pay towards the regional budget next year, are being discussed by representatives of Amherst, Shutesbury, Leveret and Pelham.

To pass the zoning changes, nine of 13 councilors must vote in favor to meet the necessary two-thirds threshold under state law.

The city charter also provides that after an initial request for a deferral, four councilors en bloc can request a second deferral. If that happens, Bockelman said the vote on the zoning changes would take place on December 20.

At-Large Councilor Alisa Brewer said she was frustrated that DuMont’s actions threw the voting process for or against the zoning amendments into chaos.

City Council unanimously approved the first zoning amendment before it, which will extend temporary Section 14 until December 31, 2022. This allows outdoor dining and other pandemic-era protocols to stay in place to support local businesses.

Councilors also voted 12 to 1, with only DuMont voting against, to approve a series of new parking and access requirements for homes.

The delayed regulations generated the most conversation, with residents on North Prospect Street worrying about the new overlapping ward that would apply to city-owned parking between North Pleasant and North Prospect streets to accommodate the second downtown parking lot .

Harry Peltz of North Prospect Street said the rezoning rush, without the support of neighbors, will hurt the city rather than help it.

Ira Bryck of Strong Street said a parking lot would disturb the tranquility of the neighborhood.

Claudia Pazmany, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, however, spoke out in favor of the need for parking for businesses.

With respect to changes to mixed-use buildings, councilors appeared to favor requiring that 30% of the ground floor area be commercial.

District 1 Councilor Cathy Schoen said having around half of the ground floor non-residential is a good thing, although an amendment to raise the requirement to 40 per cent has narrowly missed, 7-6.

To Grand Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke pointed to an analysis of retail, carried out before the pandemic, which found that too much retail space would create empty storefronts, and these vacancies would prove detrimental to city centers and villages. Hanneke said the analysis showed there is a demand for about 12,000 to 15,000 square feet of retail space across the city.

If the bylaw is approved, District 5 Councilwoman Shalini Bahl-Milne said it would improve on existing rules, which require no minimum percentage of commercial area in mixed-use buildings.

read more
Parking spaces

New Love locations offer 280 parking spaces nationwide

by Deena S. Hawkins on
The new Love’s in Pacific Junction, Iowa is introduced. (Courtesy of Love’s)

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops announced the opening of four new stores Thursday.

Together, the locations will provide 280 large parking spaces and create 190 jobs.

The new stores are in Great Falls, Montana, Drayton, North Dakota, Pacific Junction, Iowa and Dalhart, Texas.

“Love’s continues to open new locations during the holidays to help get professional drivers and four-wheeled customers to their destination safely and quickly,” said Greg Love, co-CEO of Love’s. “Whether it’s fuel, fresh food and drink, or a gift for a loved one – like a toy or today’s latest electronics – customers can get what they need. when they stop at one of our more than 570 locations across the country.”

In honor of the grand openings, Love’s will donate $2,000 to nonprofit organizations in each city. The donation will go to CASA-CAN in Great Falls, Montana; the Twilight Fund in Dalhart, Texas; a later chosen organization in Drayton, North Dakota, and it will be split between Glenwood Public Schools and the Glenwood Public Library in Pacific Junction, Iowa.

Here is a breakdown of each location’s amenities:

PACIFIC JUNCTION, IOWA

  • Over 10,000 square feet.
  • Metro.
  • 84 truck parking spaces.
  • 51 parking spaces.
  • Three RV spaces.
  • Six diesel bays.
  • Five showers.
  • Laundry room.
  • Cat scale.
  • Gourmet coffee beans.
  • Branded snacks.
  • Fresh cooking concept.
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories.
  • Dog park.

DALHART, TEXAS

  • Over 8,000 square feet.
  • Chester’s chicken and the godfather’s pizza. (Opening December 13)
  • 77 truck parking spaces.
  • 48 parking spaces.
  • Five RV slots.
  • Five diesel bays.
  • Four showers.
  • Laundry room.
  • Cat scale.
  • Gourmet coffee beans.
  • Branded snacks.
  • Fresh cooking concept.
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories.
  • Dog park.

DRAYTON, NORTH DAKOTA

  • Over 7,000 square feet.
  • Taco John’s. (Opening December 13)
  • 63 truck parking spaces.
  • 45 parking spaces.
  • Six RV slots.
  • Six diesel bays.
  • Four showers.
  • Laundry room.
  • Cat scale.
  • Gourmet coffee beans.
  • Branded snacks.
  • Fresh cooking concept.
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories.
  • Dog park.

GREAT FALLS, MONTANA

Omnitracs

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′; n.tail=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘959373277500486’); fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);

read more
Parking spaces

Township revises laws on parking spaces and accessory buildings

by Deena S. Hawkins on

LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – Two recent land use concerns in Lower Pottsgrove – regarding the future size of parking spaces or “stalls” for routable vehicles, and increased interest by landowners in building construction “Accessories” to house small workshops or leisure equipment – were addressed on Monday (6 December 2021) in a change of law approved by the Council of cantonal commissioners.

Parking space sizes

For future land use planning proposals only, the minimum size of parking spaces created in the township will increase by 6 inches in width, from 9 1/2 feet wide by 18 feet deep to 10 feet wide by 18 feet wide. feet deep. The additional width, determined after research and comparison with the standards of other municipalities, was found to be sufficient to accommodate the larger size of newly manufactured pickup trucks and vans.

The parking spaces must be reasonably level, limited to a single vehicle and cannot include an area reserved for passages, aisles or other means of circulation or access, specifies the law. Its adoption was recommended by the chairman of the board of directors Bruce Foltz, himself the owner of a large pick-up.

Additions to the accessory building

Seeing the change in parking space as an opportunity to resolve another issue of subdivision law and land use planning, the commissioners agreed to also amend related parts of the township code dealing with accessory buildings.

A growing number of landowners have told the township, mainly by submitting new land use plans and building permit applications, that they are interested in adding free-standing structures. Many are intended for storing trailers, RVs, lawn equipment, or pool supplies. Some are used as workshops or tool sheds. Commercial and agricultural home uses are also permitted.

Their use and size are governed by the zoning code of the municipality, and generally require the approval of the Zoning Hearing Panel as a special exception.

The commissioners agreed to amend the code to expand the permitted area for accessory buildings eligible for exceptions from more than a minimum area of ​​600 square feet to a minimum of 600 to 1,000 square feet or less. Structures are also subject to setback requirements, determination by the zoning hearing panel of neighborhood suitability, a building’s “visual impact” and landscaping.

The intention, said township manager Ed Wagner, was to avoid a proliferation of pole barn-sized buildings that could have benefited from special exceptions under the previous section of the ordinance.

The commissioners unanimously agreed to the changes at the first board meeting of the month. He was preceded by a 6.45 p.m. public hearing, during which no one spoke to oppose the measure.

photo by Vitalik radko Going through Photo submission, used under license

read more
Parking spaces

Love’s opens 3 new stores and adds hundreds of parking spaces for large platforms

by Deena S. Hawkins on
The new Love’s Travel Stop in Garden City, Georgia is shown.

OKLAHOMA CITY – At a time when it is very difficult to find a safe place to park a large platform, Love’s Travel Stops has created 300 new truck spaces across the country with the opening of three new locations.

The new Love’s stores are located in Bellefontaine, Ohio, Milton, Florida and Garden City, Georgia.

“Opening three locations in one day is no small feat, but our team members are ready to show customers Love’s Highway Hospitality in Bellefontaine, Milton and Garden City,” said Greg Love, Co-CEO of Love’s. “Whether it’s fresh food, snacks or coffee, today’s latest technology or just a place to stretch your legs, Love’s offers the amenities that professional drivers and customers alike. four wheels need when they are on the road.

Together, the new stores created 200 jobs.

Here are the amenities of each store:

Bellefontaine, Ohio

  • Over 13,000 square feet.
  • Hardee. (Opening December 6)
  • 126 parking spaces for trucks.
  • 55 parking spaces.
  • Seven motorhome spaces.
  • Eight diesel compartments.
  • Eight showers.
  • Laundry room.
  • CAT scale.
  • Gourmet coffee beans.
  • Branded snacks.
  • Fresh cooking concept.
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, helmets and smartphone accessories.
  • Dog park.

Milton, Florida

  • Over 12,000 square feet.
  • that of Arby. (Opening November 22)
  • 88 parking spaces for trucks.
  • 85 parking spaces.
  • Four motorhome spaces.
  • Eight diesel compartments.
  • Eight showers.
  • Laundry room.
  • CAT scale.
  • Speedco.
  • Gourmet coffee beans.
  • Branded snacks.
  • Fresh cooking concept.
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, helmets and smartphone accessories.
  • Dog park.

Garden City, Georgia

  • Over 12,000 square feet.
  • Hardee. (Opening November 22)
  • 97 parking spaces for trucks.
  • 63 parking spaces.
  • Three motorhome spaces.
  • Eight diesel compartments.
  • Six showers.
  • Laundry room.
  • CAT scale.
  • Gourmet coffee beans.
  • Branded snacks.
  • Fresh cooking concept.
  • Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, helmets and smartphone accessories.
  • Dog park.
Trucker News Staff

The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content not only for TheTrucker.com, but also for The Trucker Newspaper, which has served the trucking industry for over 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News team aims to provide relevant and objective content regarding the trucking segment of the transportation industry. Trucker News staff are based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

read more
Parking garage

Start of construction of a new car park in downtown Temple

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Construction of the buildings began in October and is expected to take around 18 months.

TEMPLE, Texas – Construction on the new Temple downtown parking lot began on November 10, according to a press release.

According to officials, construction of the parking lot is expected to take 13 months.

In addition to the city’s parking garages, visitors to downtown will see a variety of private projects take shape this year, such as the Hawn Hotel, the Arcadia Theater and the Sears Building and several new and expanded businesses.

The City will also make improvements to roads and landscaping from Central Avenue to Adams Avenue.

“As the revitalization of the Downtown Temple continues, we look forward to an increase in the number of visitors to the area,” said City Manager Brynn Myers. “We will be ready with an expanded parking lot to provide a practical and dynamic downtown experience”

On September 23, the City of Temple announced its partnership with real estate developer Waco Turner Behringer Development to transform buildings into apartments, shops and restaurants, offices, as well as a function and event hall.

“The Hawn Hotel and the Arcadia Theater have been mainstays of Temple’s historic downtown for nearly a century, so we are delighted to see these monuments get a second life,” said the Director of Temple City, Brynn Myers. “There have been so many dedicated people who have worked to make this a reality, and we can’t wait to see what the end result will be. “

Turner Behringer plans:

  • 57 one to two bedroom apartments in the Hawn and Sears buildings, totaling approximately 45,000 square feet
  • Approximately 32,000 square feet of commercial retail space, which will include storefronts, new restaurants and offices

“Adaptive reuse refers to the conservation attempt to reuse an existing structure for purposes other than what it was originally built for,” said Shane Turner, partner and broker at Turner Behringer. “We have had great success with our adaptive reuse projects at Waco … and we are excited to be expanding at Temple,” continued Turner.

All projects are expected to be completed by spring 2023.

The real estate developer’s past projects have included the Hippodrome Theater, Madison Apartments and Altura Lofts.

No traffic slowdown is expected at this time. But some road closures are planned as this work progresses. The City will coordinate with local businesses to minimize the impact.

For updates on these and other key downtown construction projects, visit siteletstalktemple.com. Those with additional questions can contact the Temple City Engineering Department at 254-298-5660.

RELATED: Temple’s Downtown Hawn Hotel Revitalization Project, Arcadia Theater Includes New Apartments and Restaurants

RELATED: More Road Closures for Killeen in November

read more
Parking spaces

Why Hong Kong is building parking lot-sized apartments

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Mainland Chinese leaders, who have increasingly tightened their grip on the city, blamed unaffordable housing for the massive social unrest that erupted in 2019 and called for political solutions.

Completion of these units would take years, while supply continued to shrink. The number of private homes that can be produced from available land has fallen from a peak of 25,500 in 2018 to 13,020 in 2021, according to think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation.

Home values ​​have risen another 5% so far in 2021. City officials have also expressed a desire to stop developers from building the smallest of homes, under 200 square feet.

However, markets can sometimes come up with their own corrections, and it looks like homebuyers are less than happy with the microflats trend. According to data provided by Liber Research, prices for apartments under 260 square feet only increased by 78% between 2010 and 2019, less than half of the overall market increase.

“The popularity of nanoflats has dropped over the past year,” says Joseph Tsang, chairman of Jones Lang LaSalle in Hong Kong.

Some new projects have struggled to sell nanoflats while larger apartments have continued to find strong demand, he says. Some buyers have even sold at a loss compared to what they paid to buy new construction.

“People realize that if they could afford such a high unit cost, they might as well buy a bigger one, or buy in a more remote location with more space,” he says.

Nonetheless, the average cost of a nano-apartment under 200 square feet rose to US$3,276 per square foot in the first nine months of 2021, according to Midland Realty; this makes smaller homes more expensive than a typical sized apartment – ​​nearly US$500 more per square foot.

Some civic groups have filed a petition to ban developers from building ever smaller houses: the same square footage divided into two apartments yields higher profits for developers, while harming society as a whole.

“It’s not that people really want to live in small apartments, it’s just very unfortunate that we don’t have a strong enough societal consensus that decent housing is a right,” Ng says, professor at Chinese university.

“People have, year after year, really shifted to a mindset that only concerns ownership for its exchange value, rather than what we call use value. Housing is for people to use, to raise families, to develop a social network, to build communities and to thrive as a result.

Most micro-apartment dwellers hope their situation is temporary, that by the time they are ready to couple or start a family, they can modernize. Dr Lee, who is currently renting out his home in Kowloon, is saving a day for a down payment on a two-bedroom unit. “I live in such a small unit to save money,” he says. “I want to move as soon as possible.”

read more
Parking garage

Authorities say a new car park in Stamford is good news for walkers and cyclists. Town planners disagree

by Deena S. Hawkins on

STAMFORD – When regional leaders gathered opposite the Stamford transport hub to celebrate the grand opening of a new state garage, lawmakers were hopeful for the future.

U.S. Representative Jim Himes, D-Conn., Hinted that the new garage would help create a “progressive mall” in downtown Stamford where people could exist without cars. State Representative and city mayoral candidate Caroline Simmons, D-Stamford, called it a victory for “hard-working commuters, for public safety, for quality of life.” Cory Paris Representative D-Stamford said the $ 81.7 million investment proved that “our state’s crown jewel sets a great example of how we can invest in infrastructure.”

But in the hours since lawmakers hailed the 928-seater garage as a win for Stamford and the region, backlash began to bubble online.

“No, no, no,” Hartford town planner Autumn Florek wrote on Twitter. “Building gigantic parking garages destroys the environment and our communities. It’s not a party! “

Florek was far from alone. The consensus among urban planning practitioners and enthusiasts is that building a larger garage is terrible for residents and bad for the environment.

“This is tripling on the car-centric land use around this busy station, as many people are finally starting to realize, exactly at the wrong time to increase driving and increase pollution in urban areas and increase emissions. greenhouse gases, ”said Anthony Cherolis, Hartford-based transport advocate and engineer.

In 2008, Connecticut set out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to 80% or below 2001 levels, a goal the state has not always been able to meet. Transportation continues to be one of the state’s biggest producers of gas emissions, “primarily from the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles,” according to a 2021 State Department study. ‘Energy and Environmental Protection.

Cherolis argues that by building nearly 1,000 parking spaces, the city will further encourage driving for decades to come. The existing public garage for the Stamford Transportation Center, for example, was built in 1985.

Plans for the new garage on Washington Boulevard include improvements to the roads surrounding the garage – like dedicated bus, carpool, and taxi lanes – and a direct pedestrian connection to track 5 of the station where the Metro-North Railway takes. passengers to Grand Central Station.

State Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti said on Monday, during the official introduction of the garage project, that the pavement improvements would be “bicycle and pedestrian friendly” to complement the 100 storage spaces. sheltered bikes that the DOT will include in the garage.

However, Cherolis rejected the idea that the garage could make the station accessible to non-drivers while increasing the number of spaces for drivers.

“I think they’re putting lipstick on a pig,” he said. “Walking or cycling past the entrance or exit of a parking lot during rush hour – it’s hard to think of that better and make it safe or convenient. “

New proposal, new reviews

While planners criticize the garage’s design, the DOT faced almost opposite criticism the last time it attempted to revitalize the area around the station.

The department presented a $ 500 million plan in 2013 to replace the dilapidated garage at 43 Station Place across from the station with “600,000 square feet of commercial office, 60,000 square feet of retail floors, 150 hotel rooms and 150 residential units ”. The plan was to bring transit-oriented development, an urban development strategy that seeks to maximize convenience close to transit, to Stamford.

As part of this plan, the suburban parking lot was about to move a quarter of a mile. Some commuters lobbied against the proposal.

“Commuters want the parking lot rebuilt, in place. DOT wants a transit-focused development project that will expand station uses and generate revenue,” said John Hartwell, then Connecticut vice president. Commuter Rail Council, in 2016.

After years of delay, the sight of a mixed-use bubble near the train station has faded on the vine. In October 2016, state officials canceled the redevelopment more than three years after the process began because the designated real estate and construction team failed their verification process.

Two years later, when the state attempted to seek public opinion on building a parking lot instead of a mixed-use complex, public reaction was still mixed. Few of the residents attended community meetings with the state, and residents wanted to see a new garage built directly where the current parking lot is.

Town representative Eric Morson, D-13, agreed then and still supports him today. The new parking garage plan does not replicate the same convenience of the old garage.

“If you need to pick up your train at the north end of the platform or if you are dropped off at the north end of the platform… this parking lot is at the south end of the platform,” said Morson, a longtime commuter, noted. “It’s a hell of a walk for some people who might not be able to do it. It’s going to take some people longer. And when you rush for your train? Maybe you miss it.”

Giulietti revealed at Monday’s ceremony that the state has more ambitious plans for the existing garage. He has to demolish a significant part of the facility due to structural problems. In the process, the DOT expects to find a new use for the property.

“This is top notch real estate,” Giulietti said of the plot. “We are looking to attract investors so that we can offset some of our costs of launching an operation by perhaps putting something in that will generate funds for the system.”

Design for the future

The very lack of convenience for motorists and worried commuters like Hartwell and Morson is what some planners think cities should aim to do.

Mary Donegan, professor of town planning at the University of Connecticut, understands that people drive places, especially in this state. But she also knows that building more garages and roads leads to more driving, a claim supported by research.

A study conducted by several UConn professors in 2016 linked the supply of parking to the number of people driving using geospatial data. As the number of parking spaces per person increased from 0.2 to 0.5, the share of people traveling by car increased with it.

“We kind of have this story in Connecticut that we need to improve service for people to use transit, and it’s true,” Donegan said. “But it’s also true that we have to make it harder to drive. If we just improve the service, people won’t change.”

For the sake of the people of Stamford, present and future, she believes it is up to the state to force this change.

Donegan also argues that there is an element of fairness in not building a garage.

“The poorest residents don’t own a car and certainly won’t be able to afford this garage,” she said. “So you are spending a lot of money on infrastructure to help the wealthiest in the city and detrimental to small business owners or residents who want to walk and cycle.”

Dice Oh, an active member of the local transport advocacy group People Friendly Stamford, understands that there must be garage parking, given the role of the Stamford Transport Center as a regional hub. Still, he’s frustrated with the design.

“The priority for the station should be much more to allow the kind of developments that would create pedestrianized neighborhoods oriented towards public transport, and not to make the car the number one priority, which is happening now,” said Oh.

The old garage was falling apart. He understands that something new had to happen, but it should have taken a more forward-looking approach.

“What we would like to see (from) the state is to have a vision of the station of the future that is not just 1,000 people going to the station every day,” he said.

[email protected]

read more
Parking garage

Utah could build 10 story parking lot with new downtown liquor store

by Deena S. Hawkins on

The state of Utah is preparing to bid on a project that would include a new two-story liquor store on Broadway and a parking garage up to 10 stories behind.

The liquor store would be built just over a block from another existing liquor store in downtown Salt Lake City. It would replace the one-storey store at 200 West 400 South, a property the state would likely sell.

The new store would fill what is currently a state-owned surface parking lot. The parking garage would add hundreds of cars parked on Edison, which would otherwise become a pedestrian street halfway through 300 blocks south.

Jim Russell, head of the state agency overseeing the construction of new buildings, confirmed plans to build Salt Lake on Thursday evening.

Four of the 10 floors would be used by customers and loading trucks for the new liquor store on the east corner of 300 S. Edison St. The remaining six, if built, would be used by residents in a neighborhood that has not yet been revealed. residential building by Ivory Homes, Russell said.

“The state will have 118 booths and Ivory for their development will have 204,” Russell said. “I must warn you that we are planning with Ivory on this. However, when we go out for construction tenders, that’s when [Ivory will] determine if they are interested in the construction part.

An Ivory Coast representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the plans Thursday evening.

Since the state takes the initiative in the development of the parking structure, it does not have to follow municipal regulations for land use. This will allow him to build a structure that could reach 110 feet high on the street that has been revitalized in recent years.

It will also add to the glut of parking downtown.

An independent Salt Lake City parking study in 2016 found that there was an unsanitary amount of parking in the urban core. The city had enough parking spaces to support decades of unbridled growth without the need to build more.

This type of structure is the most expensive type of parking lot to build, estimated at $ 4,135 per space in 2016 (likely higher today), according to Nelson Nygaard’s study.

The report showed that Salt Lake City has about 33,000 places in its downtown area, almost as many as Denver, although it is several times smaller than the capital of Colorado. Parking use, meanwhile, was only around 60%.

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) referred all questions to the Department of Construction and Facilities Management (DFCM), which oversees construction.

DFCM said it plans to put the project out to tender probably before the end of the year. If he can find a contractor within budget, the project would likely be built before the end of 2022, potentially in time for the holiday rush that begins with Thanksgiving.

The parking structure would sit on top of a portion of an existing surface parking lot that could accommodate 66 cars owned by state employees working in the Heber Wells building across the street, Russell said. He said he needed to maintain these stalls and add space for an additional 50 to 60 cars for customers at the new liquor store.

The first level of the new parking garage will be used primarily by trucks delivering to the store, as well as garbage and other services.

Russell noted that the state had considered options for allowing car drivers to access the parking lot directly from 300 South, but was unable to do so for various reasons.

“The city didn’t like that outing on Edison Street. We looked at how could we go 300 south and how could we go east, ”he said. “And they said, ‘How about you put the store north? If we had done that you would obviously have a parking structure on 300 South and they didn’t like that either.

Nick Norris, Salt Lake City’s chief planning officer, declined to comment, saying he had not seen the state’s plans on the 4-10 story parking lot.

Inclusion of Ivory’s six stories in the final structure, Russell said, will depend on offers received.

This rendering shows what would be a two-story state-run liquor store overlooking 300 South near 150 East and a 10-story parking lot, accessible from Edison Street. The garage could be shared between the state and Ivory Homes, which is considering redeveloping buildings along the 200 East and 300 South. Rendered courtesy of Jacoby Architects.

Ivory Development

These are among the first details of a project on a key remaining plot on Downtown Broadway.

Ken Sanders, owner of Ken Sanders Rare Books, said he had to leave his long-standing site due to redevelopment by Ivory, the owner of his building. He led a long-standing crowdfunding effort that raised nearly $ 160,000.

The developer also owns the retail stores that face 300 southwest of 200 east, including The Green Ant furniture store, Urban Vintage, Shadowplay, City Creek Antiques, a picture frame store and others.

Although Ivory did not share any details on the plans for the two-story buildings, the site was included in an annual design competition hosted by students at the David Eccles School of Business in 2020.

The presentation of the winning student group makes it clear that the state has known since at least 2019 that it would be moving the liquor store to the 300 S. Edison plot.

The students noted that they were to include an 11,000 square foot state liquor store as part of their mock proposal, which also included a food hall, offices and an 11-story residential tower.

The actual liquor store will be slightly larger, at 15,000 square feet, and will not include the two floors of office space above as offered by the students.

The package the students followed said the state would work with the developer on the site and needed around 100 parking spaces for Heber Wells and liquor store customers.

Want to know where developers are offering and building new apartments in Salt Lake, or just want to support a local source of information about what’s going on in your neighborhood? Learn more about become a member.

read more
Parking spaces

Redlands may require 25% less parking for homes near railroad tracks – Redlands Daily Facts

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Developers of homes near Redlands’ upcoming rail line may not have to build as many parking lots if the city approves the changes proposed by staff.

The Redlands Planning Commission agreed this week 4-1 to recommend that City Council adopt the proposed changes to the parking requirement rules for mixed-use developments within a half-mile radius of a train station. . Commissioner Karah Shaw was dissenting and Commissioner Steven Frasher was absent.

The change only applies to C-3 zoned properties, which are commercial, and those in the specific downtown plan, planning director Brian Foote told the commission.

On Tuesday, October 12, the Redlands Planning Commission recommended that City Council change the rate of parking spaces required for mixed-use development within a half-mile radius of upcoming stations. The changes would apply primarily to the specific downtown plan area, teal, and C-3 zoned properties, primarily south of Redlands Boulevard. (Courtesy City of Redlands)

The city’s largest contiguous C-3 zoning area is south and west of Redlands Boulevard, east of Center Street, and primarily north of Vine Street. The few other C-3 areas are smaller and already developed, he said.

New York Street Station doesn’t have a C-3 zoning nearby, he said, nor does the University Station area, so the parking changes would really only apply to downtown.

The proposal is to determine the number of parking spaces required to be built per the square footage of the residential unit. One parking space would be required for each unit up to 999 square feet, 1.5 spaces for each unit up to 1,499 square feet and 2 spaces for each unit larger than that. Guest space would be required for all 4 units. Living / working units and business units would have different requirements.

The proposed changes also mean that within half a mile of the station, mixed-use projects could share all guest spaces with commercial spaces.

The City currently requires one parking space for one bedroom units, 1.5 spaces for 2 bedroom units and 2 spaces for units with 3 or more bedrooms.

Studies from Washington, DC to Pasadena found that transit-focused development reduced the need for car trips and parking by 20 to 60 percent, Foote told commissioners.

“Essentially, a mixed-use project doesn’t require as much parking as would be assumed with a parking rate determined by the Institute of Transportation Engineers,” which most city codes are typically based on, Foote said. during a meeting. “In general, ITE tends to overestimate the amount of parking needed for mixed-use projects in transit-oriented development, especially around a major transit stop like a train station. “

Larger reductions occurred in large, high-density cities, but in suburban areas the reduction rates were closer to 20-30%, he said.

“It seems reasonable to think that a 20% to 30% reduction in travel and a reduction in parking would work, should work, in a suburban area around a train station, a major transit stop, with development in mixed use designed as a public transport. type of development oriented, ”Foote said.

The proposed mixed-use project for the Redlands Mall site offers 20% less residential parking than the existing code requires, he said, and is about 25% less than the code for commercial parking.

Since the need for parking will likely be lower, this should be acceptable, he said.

Shaw said she was not sure the cities mentioned in the studies compare to Redlands.

“You can hop on the train and go to work in LA… but when you come back here you still have to have a car to get to Target,” she said.

She said she was uncomfortable reducing the number of spaces required by 25-30%.

“Parking is already kind of a mess,” she said.

President Conrad Guzkowski noted that even if the rule changes are passed, there are checks and balances.

Projects will still have to be approved by the city, and project investors “have a vested interest in success, and that is also control over this system,” Guzkowski.

Commissioner Matt Endsley questioned “what could be the potential unanticipated impacts”, but called it a “bold and necessary decision”.

The city council will make the final decision on the changes at a later date.

read more
Parking garage

The future home of the proposed parking garage on Market Street in Wheeling

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Wheeling, WV (WTRF) – The proposed parking lot in downtown Wheeling is one step closer to reality.

Tonight City Council approved funds to demolish the old Chase Bank building on 11th and Market Streets: a new space for the parking garage.

This is all part of the redevelopment of the Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Building. The parking structure will also have 10,000 square feet of retail space on both sides of the street.

And Mayor Glenn Elliott can’t wait to see how that turns this block.

“Right now you’re looking at one block on Market Street between 11th and 12th. It’s really not really a contributing block right now. We have an office building. We have a retail outlet. We have a lot of vacant spaces. By eliminating the Chase Bank and putting the new parking structure in motion, we will reactivate the Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel building. “

Mayor Glenn Elliott, Wheelie Town

The mayor says retail space will run from where the Chris Miller building ends to the corner of 11th Street. He adds that the space can be filled with cafes, bagel shops and things like that.

Meanwhile, the demolition of the old Chase Bank building is expected to continue in the coming weeks. But the mayor says the actual construction of the parking structure won’t start until 2022 and will take about a year before it’s all done.

read more
Uncategorized

Parking structures will be key to Bushnell South’s development in Hartford

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Parking structures will be a key component of Bushnell South, a development that aims to replace acres of parking lots with up to 1,200 new housing units and 60,000 square feet of retail and commercial space.

“The main objective is to take advantage of the [Capital Region Development Authority’s] are working in some critical properties and the investments they’ve already made in the Clinton Street parking lot, ”said Ben Carlson, director of urban design for Goody Clancy, a Boston-based architecture and planning firm, in a statement. updated September 16 at CRDA. plank.

As the existing supply of above-ground parking declines, Carlson said they will need to create more parking structures and then operate them in a shared-use format that will allow residents, office workers and theatergoers to use them at different times of the day and week.

“We minimize the costs and the square footage required and this opens up opportunities for development,” said Carlson.

The project focuses on approximately 20 acres bordered by Capitol Avenue and Elm, Trinity and Main streets near the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

CRDA built the new $ 16 million parking lot on Clinton Street. It is also contributing $ 13.5 million to the conversion of the former state office building at 55 Elm St., into 164 residential units, a $ 63 million project that is part of the first phase of the development. from Bushnell South. In total, the first phase will have 278 housing units.

CRDA executive director Michael Freimuth said the authority owns several plots in the area and plans to endorse other projects in line with the plan prepared by Goody Clancy.

The second and third phases take advantage of adding two levels and approximately 135 spaces to a CRDA parking structure by creating a mixed-use building facing the state office building, Carlson said.

Phases two and three represent half of the housing potential of the project, he said.

read more
Parking facilities

Initially, Delhi will have 2 multi-level bus parking lots

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Delhi: The nation’s capital will soon have multi-level bus parking at various depots, the city’s Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said.

Bus parking spaces would be provided at two main depots of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC): Hari Nagar and Vasant Vihar.

Gahlot said that the Hari Nagar and Vasant Vihar bus depots will be configured as world-class depots with 2-3 times parking capacity as well as retail space.

He said the new parking lot will have a capacity of over 700 buses.

Multi-level bus parking at depots, according to Gehlot, would put the national capital Delhi on the list of the world’s best cities for public transport.

“This facility, built on self-sustaining zero energy, will undoubtedly place Delhi in the list of the best cities in the world for public transport and transport infrastructure,” said the Minister of Transport.

DTC depots will also have basement parking over 2.6 lakh square feet that will accommodate 690 cars and retail space.

In addition, Gahlot said the Delhi government will redevelop the DTC settlements in Shadipur and Hari Nagar 3 into residential units. It will include EWS housing in accordance with Delhi 2021 Master Plan standards.

The project, executed by National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC), is expected to start by the end of this year and could be completed by 2024.

In October 2020, the DTC had signed a memorandum of understanding with the NBCC for these projects.

To subscribe to Mint newsletters

* Enter a valid email address

* Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our app now !!

read more
Parking facilities

Delhi to get two multi-level bus parking lots

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Representative picture

Highlights

  • Construction of these multi-level bus depots, the first of their kind, will begin by the end of this year.
  • The construction of these depots will be completed in a phased manner by 2024.
  • Hari Nagar and Vasant Vihar depots can accommodate 100 and 230 buses each respectively.

New Delhi: Soon there will be two multi-level bus parking lots in Delhi. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Thursday announced that two multi-level bus parking lots will soon be constructed at Hari Nagar and Vasant Vihar bus depots in the national capital of the Delhi Transport Corporation.

“This multi-tiered bus parking lot will be another world-class state-of-the-art public transport infrastructure that Arvind Kejriwal’s governance model will deliver to the people of Delhi,” said the India time Gahlot quoted in a statement. “This facility, built on a stand-alone model, will undoubtedly place Delhi in the list of best cities in the world when it comes to public transport and transportation infrastructure,” he added.

The project, which aims to develop these two depots at prime locations into world-class depots with up to three times the current parking capacity as well as retail spaces, will be executed by National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC ). Construction of the multi-level bus depots, the first of their kind, will begin by the end of this year and be completed in stages by 2024, the statement said.

Hari Nagar and Vasant Vihar depots can accommodate 100 and 230 buses each respectively. The Delhi government said in a statement that these depots could accommodate 330 and 400 buses each over four and seven floors after the redevelopment. These depots will also represent an underground car park of over 2.6 lakh square feet, accommodating over 690 cars and retail spaces.

It is worth mentioning here that last year in October, DTC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NBCC, whereby NBCC will act as project management consultants for the development of its main plots of land at various locations in across Delhi, for multi-level bus parking depots, redevelopment of DTC residential settlements and more commercial facilities. DTC’s residential settlements in Shadipur and Hari Nagar are also being redeveloped into residential units as well as commercial and retail facilities, according to the publication.

According to the statement, these deposits are designed with a vibration isolation system through the use of steel coil springs, after noise and vibration impact analyzes and a 45 degree angle for maximum parking efficiency. Various other features such as washing pits and electric charging stations will also be incorporated into these sites, the government said.

read more
Parking garage

Seattle’s first robotic parking lot opens

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Residents of this luxury Seattle tower drive their cars onto a platform, get out of the car, and enter a code. Then their car disappears into a hole.

This is called the “parking lot” at the Spire.

Seeing the technology demonstrated for the first time, most people say, “Whoa”. And then they want to see what’s in the hole.

“We are the only ones who have the key to this door, because the parking system is a building-sized machine and no one should be in the lower basements while the machine is running, down the road. ‘except qualified technicians and engineers,’ said Michael Dennison with the American company that distributes Swiss-made robotic parking equipment.

Seattle’s first automated parking system is part of the Spire, a 41-story luxury condominium tower built on the outskirts of Belltown, not far from the Space Needle.

Robotic garages like this may be new to Seattle, but they’re an old hat in Switzerland.

Related: This Seattle robot garage can be taken apart like LEGOs

The next level from the surface is called the “transfer floor,” and is reminiscent of the interior of a cuckoo clock. Cars went up and down on three different pistons, while residents upstairs above us picked up and dropped off their cars. Robotic carts transported these cars to and from a central elevator, which descended another eight floors, each with its own system of carts, wrapping the cars in slots, like an underground beehive.

“I’d love to take a picture of this,” I said, leaning over the hole with my camera.

“You can,” Dennison said. “The only thing is… you will die, if you fall into the hole. So don’t fall into the hole.

“I won’t fall into the hole,” I promised.

Expand icon

Paul Menzies is the CEO of Laconia, who developed the project. He says the automated garage takes up much less space. It doesn’t need ramps or other lanes. Vertical circulation is very efficient.

“This particular site is very small – 10,660 square feet,” he said. “It’s about a quarter of an acre. So, to give an idea, it’s about as much for a single family home in the suburbs.

To complicate matters even more, the site is triangular. Many local engineers told him that you cannot install underground parking at this site. But a young engineer in Switzerland, working for robotic parking company Sotefin, had studied Seattle’s land use code and asked to tackle it.

“So he was gone for half an hour and he came back with a set of drawings in his hand showing how, in fact, it could work when a lot of people said it couldn’t be done,” Menzies said. . “That’s one of the reasons. I love working with young people. They don’t know what can’t be done, so they do it anyway.


Caption: Amazon HQ, seen from the Arrow

Expand icon

This site is just two blocks from Amazon, so Menzies says many software engineers have requested garage tours. He hopes that will translate into condo sales in Speyer, which range from half a million to almost $ 4 million.

But demand was not as strong as he had hoped. This spring, he had to cut prices by 10%.

Lots of buildings are being built in Seattle without parking garages these days. In dense Seattle neighborhoods, city regulations no longer require them because they add to traffic congestion and cost money to build.

Michael Anderson of the Sightline Institute estimates that underground parking spaces in deep parking garages today cost an average of around $ 100,000 per space to build, including financing costs. Previous analyzes from Sightline have determined that the downtown area has excess parking that goes unused during the day.

At least in the luxury condo market, “most of the people who live in the residential tower want to park in the building,” Menzies said.


Caption: Paul Menzies poses for a portrait on the Speyer roof terrace.

Expand icon

Remarkably, robotic technology doesn’t seem to have increased the cost of parking spaces, at least in this case. The parking spaces in this building sell for $ 75,000. The robotic garage technology itself adds $ 8 million to the project, and the concrete work is more expensive because it has to be poured with more precision than in a normal garage. But efficient use of space means there is much less soil to excavate, which saves huge amounts of money. Whether this completely offsets the additional costs associated with robots, Menzies couldn’t tell.

While this may be the first to open, Seattle will soon see more robotic parking lots. The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance will finish pouring concrete on its robotic parking lot site on Friday, August 27. This building is slated to open in 2023. And unlike the Speyer parking lot, the SCCA system is designed in such a way that it can be converted to another use, such as a lab space, should the parking lot become obsolete in the distant future.

read more
Parking spaces

Joshua Tree National Park Offers New Entrance, More Parking Spaces – Daily Bulletin

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Overwhelming attendance at Joshua Tree National Park resulting from a desire for outdoor recreation due to the coronavirus pandemic is causing vehicle backups of several miles at the entrance and a parking crisis for visitors trying to ride. hiking, camping and rock climbing in the desert park.

The park offers two major projects as possible solutions to the long queues and the lack of parking spaces inside the park. But the projects are large and are in their early stages, requiring environmental reviews and public comment before they can move forward.

Cars line up at the western entrance to Joshua Tree National Park in this file photo from May 9, 2015. The long lines of cars have worsened over the years. The National Park Service proposed a new west entrance pay station that would have a longer route and more pay kiosks to better handle increased visitor traffic. (Photo courtesy of Joshua Tree National Park)

First, the National Park Service proposes to demolish the existing west entrance pay station just inside the park boundaries on Park Boulevard and build a new one that would be placed half a mile further into the park to extend the entry route.

In addition, the project would increase the number of fee collection kiosks from one to four and add three inbound traffic lanes. The four new kiosks would be located two per island and would connect to the walkways and shade structures covering the pay kiosks. The project would also add a sanitary block for staff and a nine-space parking lot for staff.

The new entrance station would be powered by a solar panel with battery storage and would include a satellite for data communication. Architecturally, it would be compatible with mid-century buildings, according to the National Park Service project site.

“We have a long-standing problem of severe traffic slowdowns that literally block driveways and homes,” said Jennie Albrinck, spokesperson for the park. “With a new gatehouse, we can improve the staff to allow the public to pass more quickly and eliminate the traffic jams that sometimes extend 2 or 3 miles down the road. “

Construction could begin next summer, she said. The project is expected to last between eight months and a year. AT comment on a developing EA, go to https://parkplanning.nps.gov/West_Entrance. The comment period began August 18 and ends September 17 at midnight.

In this file photo, a U.S. ranger climbs back into his vehicle after opening a side road in Joshua Tree National Park on Thursday, January 10, 2019 (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin / SCNG).

The second project involves converting two land islets of approximately 11,000 square feet within the Barker Dam parking area. The project would add 40 parking spaces. This would involve clearing vegetation, including the removal of 13 Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), which would be replanted somewhere in the park, Albrinck said.

“They will receive the highest level of treatment” and will be under the care of a biologist, she said.

The park accommodates an average of around 4,000 vehicles per day and has 1,500 parking spaces. Lately, motorists have parked vehicles on the shoulders of the road, sometimes passing over sensitive desert habitat, she said. Additional parking spaces would help but not necessarily solve the overall parking deficit.

Barker Dam is a popular use area with several starting points. “The idea is to have more parking spaces in high-traffic areas,” she explained. To find out more and leave a comment, visit: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/barker_dam_parking_expansion. The deadline for comments is September 17th.

The cost of the projects has yet to be determined, Albrinck said. No timetable was available for the expansion of the Barker Dam car park.

Funding for both projects would come from the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which is partially funded by visitor fees, Albrinck said.

The park receives around 3 million visitors a year, she said. The vehicle charge is $ 30 and is valid for up to seven days. Fees for walking or cycling cost $ 15. An annual pass to Joshua Tree National Park costs $ 55. The park is open but a face covering is required to enter inside any building, including the visitor center.

Joshua Tree National Park straddles the Mojave and Colorado Deserts about 130 miles east of Los Angeles and is known for its rock formations, pristine desert landscapes, and the spiky Dr. Seuss trees from which the park derives its name.

read more
Parking garage

VyStar Launches $ 22 Million Downtown Parking Garage | Jax Daily Record | Jacksonville Daily Record

by Deena S. Hawkins on

When VyStar Credit Union decided to build and own a seven-story parking lot valued at $ 22 million to support its growing downtown corporate campus, CEO Brian Wolfburg said the organization “didn’t want to not build just any parking lot “.

“Downtown Jacksonville is our home and we know that investing in Jacksonville’s infrastructure will help it thrive, help it grow,” Wolfburg said.

“We have invested time and energy to come up with top-notch design. “

Wolfburg and VyStar board members were joined on August 11 by city and JAX Chamber officials in a groundbreaking ceremony for the 807-space structure at 28 W. Forsyth St.

The garage, designed by Dasher Hurst Architects, features fabric sails, VyStar-branded blue lighting and 12,000 square feet of retail space on the main level.

The credit union purchased the nearby 23-story VyStar Tower at 76 S. Laura St. in July 2018 for $ 59 million. It has acquired an adjacent parking garage and is renovating a seven-story building next door at 100 W. Bay St. with three restaurant concepts by The Bread and Board.

Part of the retail plan

The contractor for the Danis project expects construction of the garage to be completed in 12 months.

Danis vice president of operations David Kottmyer said work on the site would begin Aug. 16 and the cranes could be in the air within four to six weeks.

Wolfburg told reporters he was “very confident” that the 8,000 to 9,000 square foot garage retail space on Laura Street will be leased when the parking lot is operational.

VyStar management has not defined what will be in this space or the remaining 3,000 to 4,000 square foot shopping area facing Main Street, which Wolfburg says could be leased for “experimental” or pop-up stores.

A tear in the parking lot of the VyStar Credit Union. The $ 22 million structure will have seven levels and 807 spaces.

Wolfburg said the credit union is considering restaurants, daycares and pet services.

“We try to think about things that our employee base would need, as well as other people when they make the choice to move downtown,” he said.

Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer said VyStar and his agency are aligned with their strategy to build street-level business in the central core.

“It’s a beautiful building. It’s not just a parking lot that creates dead space along the street, ”Boyer said. “It will not be.”

VyStar took over the garage project in September 2019 from developer Laura Street Trio SouthEast Development Group LLC.

The garage was part of SouthEast’s original agreement with the city to restore and renovate the historic Barnett and Trio National Bank building across Forsyth Street.

SouthEast was unable to begin construction on the garage before the deadline with the city.

City Council has approved an agreement to sell 0.77 acre municipal land to VyStar for the parking garage.

VyStar also contracted with Regions Bank to purchase 0.26 acre parking at 54 W. Forsyth St. for the garage.

Boyer said on Aug. 11 that the garage’s earliest designs date back to 2016.

Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer speaks at the inauguration.

VyStar Growth

With the outbreak of the delta variant of COVID-19, Wolfburg said VyStar has postponed the return of its office workers from August 2 to September 7.

VyStar will have nearly 1,200 of its 2,100 employees working at its downtown Jacksonville campus and Wolfburg expects this to increase over the next two years. Originally, VyStar expected 700 to 800 employees.

The additional employees created a need for the 500 to 600 parking spaces. Wolfburg said VyStar plans to add office and retail space as the credit union grows.

“I think we’re approaching the capacity of our buildings and we’re talking about where we place people as we continue to grow,” Wolfburg said.

According to Boyer, VyStar’s garage will free up its surface parking lot near the former Jacksonville Landing for private development.

Wolfburg said this is not a location VyStar plans to develop.

The credit union has 775,000 members and over $ 11 billion in assets.

VyStar will become the 13th largest credit union in the United States and gain a headquarters in South Atlanta with its acquisition of Georgia-based Heritage Southeast Bank announced on March 31.

Wolfburg said employees can also be based at its Orlando and Tallahassee offices, but added that VyStar executives want a bigger footprint in downtown Jacksonville.

Boyer said VyStar’s decision to maintain employee presence in the office after the pandemic may be linked to the growth of the downtown area.

“This downtown workforce is critical to the success of retail establishments and the growth of restaurant corridors and the growth of downtown retail,” she said.

Representatives from VyStar, city officials and others inaugurated the credit union’s seven-story parking lot at 28 W. Forsyth St. Downtown on August 11. Left to Right: Danis Chairman Steve Betz; Jax Chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis; Lori Boyer, CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority; VyStar Senior Vice President Installations and Safety Brian Kitchens; Chad Meadows, Executive Vice President and COO of VyStar; VyStar President and CEO Brian Wolfburg; VyStar board members George Berry and Diane Fears; Danis vice president of operations Dave Kottmyer; Tom Hurst, director of Dasher Hurst Architects; and Jake Gordon, CEO of Downtown Vision Inc ..

Be the first to hear about the latest news and information business leaders rely on in this fast-paced Northeast Florida economy. Regional business news, trends and statistics needed to grow your business. Key events you can’t miss and much more.

read more
Parking spaces

Council Moves Forward With Removal Of Two Covered Parking Spaces Requirement When Building ADU – Pasadena Now

by Deena S. Hawkins on

The city council proceeded to the second reading of an ordinance which will remove the obligation to provide two covered parking spaces during the construction of an accessory housing (ADU) of more than 150 square feet.

The new construction of an ADU requires two covered parking spaces with a carport or a closed garage. Small additions of up to 150 square feet to single family dwellings are exempt from this requirement.

City Manager Steve Mermell initiated a zoning code change “to eliminate the requirement to provide two covered parking spaces when constructing any addition, regardless of size, to an existing single-family home,” according to a report municipal staff.

Recently enacted state laws limit the types of parking requirements that local agencies can place on ADUs, whether they are detached or converted from existing structures. The zoning code requires two covered parking spaces in a garage or carport. A special arrangement allows for additions of a maximum total of 150 square feet without requiring the requirement of covered parking for two cars.

Therefore, any addition to an existing residence, including the construction of an accessory structure such as a pool house or workshop of more than 150 square feet, results in the requirement to provide two covered spaces inside. a garage or a carport.

The code provides an exception for designated historic resources, in which an owner can request a waiver of the covered parking requirement when adding a floor area if an existing one-car garage contributes to the importance of property and / or neighborhood and is in good condition. or will be restored to good condition as part of the work to add floor space to the dwelling.

The current rules create an injustice for homeowners looking to build additions that often do not generate additional parking demand.

The ordinance removes significant financial barriers for homeowners looking to modernize and improve their properties and bring parking regulations into line with those imposed by state law for ADUs.

State law exempts ADUs from the requirement to construct covered parking and permits the use of driveways to meet off-street parking requirements.

Get our Pasadena Daily Newspaper delivered to your inbox. To free.

Get all the latest Pasadena news, over 10 new stories a day, 7 days a week at 7 a.m.

read more
Parking garage

VyStar Credit Union Calls for Construction of $ 21 Million Downtown Parking Garage | Jax Daily Record | Jacksonville Daily Record

by Deena S. Hawkins on

The city is considering a permit application for VyStar Credit Union to construct a proposed parking garage at 28 W. Forsyth St. Downtown at a cost of $ 21 million.

The seven-storey, 807-space structure is planned for 1.04 acres behind Regions Bank. It includes shell tenant spaces.

Danis Builders LLC is listed as the contractor. Dasher Hurst Architects is the architect.

Atlantic Engineering Services is the structural engineer and Almond Engineering is the civil engineer.

Dasher Hurst Architects is the architect of the parking lot.

A spokesperson for a credit union previously said that 250 parking spaces will be leased to the city.

VyStar President and CEO Brian Wolfburg said in March that the downtown-based credit union will innovate within the next six to 12 weeks on the garage.

VyStar increased the retail space on the ground floor in the garage design to 19,516 square feet after taking over the project in September 2019 from Laura Street Trio developer SouthEast Development Group LLC.

Wolfburg said in March that five to six tenants were interested in the garage retail space facing Laura and Main streets.

Coffee vendors, breweries and a doggy day care center have contacted VyStar but no contracts have been signed, he said.

New VyStar parking is planned at 28 W. Forsyth St. Downtown.

“We have over a year on this build. So once we get the shovel in the ground I think we’ll turn our in-house facilities team to that, ”Wolfburg said.

VyStar agreed to build the garage after developers at Laura Street Trio missed their construction start deadline under a city redevelopment deal.

The garage will support the 1,000 employees that VyStar relocates to the campus from its downtown headquarters.

VyStar has contracted with Regions Bank to purchase 0.26 acre parking at 54 W. Forsyth St. for the parking garage design expansion.

The credit union purchased the 23-story VyStar Tower at 76 S. Laura Street in July 2018 for $ 59 million. It has acquired an adjacent parking garage and is renovating a neighboring seven-story building at 100 W. Bay St.

City Council has approved an agreement to sell 0.77 acre municipal land to VyStar for the parking garage. VyStar has contracted with Regions Bank to purchase 0.26 acre parking at 54 W. Forsyth St. for the parking garage design expansion.

Editor-in-Chief Mike Mendenhall contributed to this report.

The garage will support the 1,000 employees that VyStar relocates to the campus from its downtown headquarters.

VyStar included 19,516 square feet of downstairs retail space in the design, but no tenants were announced.

Be the first to hear about the latest news and information business leaders rely on in this fast-paced Northeast Florida economy. Regional business news, trends and statistics needed to grow your business. Key events you can’t miss and much more.

read more
Parking spaces

For Sale: 450 Parking Spaces On Clearwater Beach For At Least $ 12 Million | Clear water

by Deena S. Hawkins on

CLEARWATER – At certain times of the year, finding a single parking spot in Clearwater Beach can be a challenge.

But, for $ 12 million, someone can now buy 450 in a popular business district just off Mandalay Avenue.

In 2014, when the city approved construction of the North Beach seven-level parking lot, officials said a study predicted the city’s 450 spaces at this facility would be profitable.

It didn’t, so on June 17, city council voted to declare its share of the garage surplus and invited bidders to bid, starting at $ 12 million.

The garage was built as part of a public-private partnership with Paradise Group LLC of Safety Harbor, who built the garage on approximately 1 acre of land at 490 Poinsettia St. adjacent to Pelican Walk Plaza. In 2016, the city agreed to buy 450 of the approximately 700 garage spaces for about $ 11.3 million, or about $ 25,000 per space.

These spaces, however, are on levels 3-7 and have not generated the benefits the city hoped for.

“Of course the majority of people when they park they park on the first two floors, so they (Paradise) receive constant income,” parking manager Jeremy Alleshouse told council members in a session. working June 14. “We get sporadic income. “

The pandemic has exacerbated this problem, as revenues did not cover expenses and were in deficit last year.

City staff recommended that the minimum bid required be $ 11.58 million, the city’s total investment in the property.

The city also received two appraisals on its part of the garage, one valuing it at $ 11.16 million and the other at $ 13.24 million.

Therefore, Deputy Mayor Hoyt Hamilton said he would be more comfortable if the minimum bid fell somewhere in between.

“I think we should be able to get $ 12 million without a problem,” he said.

Mayor Frank Hibbard said he did not believe the deal with Paradise was in the city’s best interest and supported either the sale of the spaces or the purchase of the entire structure, which includes around 18,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.

It might not even be an option, however.

Hamilton said Paradise already has a buyer in place for the rest of the site for around $ 20 million.

“Do we want to spend $ 20 million and own the whole shooting game?” I wouldn’t recommend this, ”he said.

“If we agree to sell ours for $ 12 million, we won’t lose any parking on the beach, but we have $ 12 million in our parking fund which gives us the ability to eventually meet future parking needs.”

Hibbard agreed that the extra money in the city’s parking fund could be used more productively.

Employee parking

There are downsides to selling the spaces, Alleshouse said.

“The big downside to the garage sale is that we sell a lot of monthly beach employee passes which is way below the market,” he said.

In fact, the city sold 436 passes, each for just $ 40 a month.

Hibbard said parking for beach employees was important, but felt the reduced rate was too generous and one reason the city was losing money.

“If you work 160 hours a month and pay a quarter of an hour, I think that’s a little ridiculous,” he said. “I think we are subsidizing too much, but that’s my personal opinion.

He said beach business owners had expressed concerns about the loss of affordable parking for their employees, but Hibbard said he was assured the structure would remain a parking lot and the new owner would continue. to provide parking for employees.

Hamilton, whose family owns the Palm Pavilion, said he understood the concerns and that his establishment was paying $ 20 out of $ 40 for employee parking passes.

“Without employees, you don’t have a business. Without businesses, you have no destinations. So there is a balance here that we have to try to find, ”he said.

read more
Parking garage

Parking Garage and Wheeling-Pitt Lofts to Transform Market Street Block in Downtown Wheeling | News, Sports, Jobs

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Photo by Eric Ayres The Town of Wheeling plans to raze the old Chase Bank building, left, to build a new parking lot – estimated to be at least six stories tall – to support the private development of the historic Wheeling-Pitt Lofts in the former headquarters of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel.

WHEELING – The movement over the $ 30 million Wheeling-Pitt Lofts project in downtown Wheeling has already sparked a domino effect of investments that is expected to continue into the future, transforming a city island that, for the most part, has been vacant for years.

Earlier this year, developer Steve Coon of Coon Restoration and Sealants, along with Dr John Johnson, owner of the former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel headquarters building, announced their intention to move forward with the redevelopment. Long-awaited city’s tallest building in 12-a two-story apartment complex known as Historic Wheeling-Pitt Lofts.

In order to accommodate this significant private investment in the downtown area, the Town of Wheeling has agreed to construct a new parking garage nearby for tenants of the 128-unit apartment complex and for additional commerce expected to follow.

While there is a partially empty lot at the north end of the block, there are four existing buildings between the corner of 11th and Market streets – where the new parking garage will be located – and the Wheeling-Pitt building.

“The current work plan is to place the new parking structure on the footprint of the Chase Bank building and open land to the north,” Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott said this week.

Once the old Chase Bank building is razed, this will leave three existing buildings nestled between the new garage and the new apartment complex.

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron explained that the vacant Chase Bank building and the neighboring former Chris Miller Furniture building are owned by the Ohio Valley Area Development Corporation. The building to the south of the Chris Miller Building is occupied and houses the CVS Pharmacy.

“The CVS building is owned by Brian Vossen and will not change,” Elliott said.

A final structure in the middle of the two new developments is a fragment of a building that once housed a metro location. Coon noted that this building was purchased by the developer to help create an Americans with Disabilities-compliant access point on the side of the Wheeling-Pitt Lofts building, which will allow them to retain the historic facade of the building. overlooking the street. .

“The developer is also trying to find a way to provide access from the Wheeling-Pitt building to the parking structure,” Herron said, noting that options are being explored in hopes of creating a hallway – possibly at through the second floors of the neighboring structures – to connect the garage and the apartment complex.

Herron said this concept is very preliminary and is being led by the developer; it is not part of the city’s plans for the construction of the parking garage.

The city hired the Mills Group to provide architectural and engineering services for the design of the new parking structure. The mayor recently announced that there is a “95% chance” that the property where the old Chris Miller Furniture building is located is not at all necessary for the structure and that the building could likely be occupied by new occupancy. . Elliott had indicated that this building has the most architectural appeal among the vacant structures north of the Wheeling-Pitt Building and that it should be in a perfect position to accommodate new occupants once neighboring developments are completed.

“The Chris Miller building would be kept for future development,” Elliott said this week, adding that the ideal situation would be to have a retail unit or restaurant on the first floor and residential accommodation on the second floor.

Coon also noted that the first floor of the Wheeling-Pitt Building was to be used for commercial development, with apartments on the upper floors. The granite facade of the Wheeling-Pitt Building covers the original storefront spaces that faced the street when the building opened in 1907 as the Schmulbach Building, once the headquarters of a local brewing company of the same name. . Coon said they plan to reopen these street-facing storefronts as part of the development.

Herron said that while a “significant amount of work” is currently underway on the parking garage project, the full scope of the project has yet to be finalized.

“It looks like it’s going to be a six to six and a half level parking structure,” Herron said. “Preliminary design work is underway and we have also performed geotechnical work on the lot site. We will come up with a funding strategy once we have a final project estimate. “

Wheeling officials have claimed that the city’s investment in the new parking structure will not only facilitate the Wheeling-Pitt Lofts business, but also open the door to a promising return on the city’s investment through the future development that will be needed to support many people living in the downtown core.

“We are currently considering approximately 300 parking spaces and approximately 9,000 square feet of retail space,” Elliott said of the new garage.

In January, Coon noted that construction on the historic Wheeling-Pitt lofts was scheduled to begin early this year and is expected to take around 15 months.

The latest news today and more in your inbox

read more
Parking spaces

Boston planners approved over 11,000 new parking spots in 2020 – StreetsblogMASS

by Deena S. Hawkins on

According to year-end statistics compiled by the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), Boston planners have approved 55 development projects in 2020 that will build more than 12,000 new homes, 6.5 million square feet of new commercial spaces and enough parking to store up to 11,162 additional cars – and almost all of that new parking lot would be built in transit-accessible neighborhoods within a quarter-mile of an MBTA station.

BPDA 2020 project approvals for mixed-use and residential developments

“TOD” denotes “transit-oriented development” – projects located within a quarter of a mile of an MBTA rapid transit or commuter train station. Source: BPDA

Purely residential projects Total in TOD % NEVER
Projects 20 12 60%
Housing units 1,403 734 52%
Residential SF 1,437,173 714,254 50%
Other SF 112,450 34,587 31%
Parking spaces 660 113 17%
Mixed-use projects (excluding Suffolk Downs) Total in TOD % NEVER
Projects 25 19 76%
Housing units 3 794 3 125 82%
Residential SF 3,809,345 3,218,896 84%
Commercial SF 1,831,079 1,819,753 99%
Other SF 739,548 653,732 88%
Parking spaces 3,542 3 267 92%
Suffolk Downs Project (Boston part only)
 Total % NEVER
Housing units 7,150 100%
Residential SF 7,310,000 100%
Commercial SF 3,210.00 100%
Other SF 470,000 100%
Parking spaces 6,760 100%

About three-fifths of this new parking lot (up to 6,760 spaces) and nearly two-thirds of the housing (7,150 apartments) would be concentrated in East Boston as part of the Suffolk Downs development, which offers direct access to two stations MBTA Blue Line. . This project is expected to be built in phases over the next decade.

Outside of the Suffolk Downs project, the BPDA has approved 4,402 parking spaces, 5,197 new housing units and 5 million square feet of space for commercial, institutional and other non-residential uses (for context, the huge Partners Health headquarters building adjacent to the Assembly Orange Line station in Somerville contains approximately 825,000 square feet of office space).

Although the BPDA is allowing massive amounts of new parking throughout the city, the parking-to-housing ratio has declined this year from 2019, when the agency approved 4,762 new homes and enough parking for 5,080 cars. .

Related:

Development data from 2019 shows almost all new housing in Boston is built for car owners

Among the 20 purely residential projects approved in 2020, developers would build 1,403 new apartments and 660 new parking spaces, or approximately one parking space for 2 apartments.

But among the subset of 12 apartment projects that would be located within a quarter of a mile of an MBTA rapid transit or commuter train station, the parking ratio was significantly lower: a total of 113 new parking spaces for 734 apartments (0.15 spaces per housing unit).

The vast majority of new developments in Boston are mixed-use, with a mix of residential and commercial space. These projects had higher ratios of parking spaces per apartment, but their garages could also be shared with commercial tenants.

In addition to the Suffolk Downs Master Plan, the BPDA approved 25 other mixed-use projects in 2020, of which residential uses were the main overall component.

These projects (excluding Suffolk Downs) would build approximately 3,023 new homes, 2.6 million square feet of office, retail and other non-residential space, and 3,542 parking spaces.

Boston’s modest drop in parking-to-apartment ratio this year can be attributed to the Metro Planning Commission 2019 “Perfect fit” report, who investigated parking usage in new residential developments in Boston and its suburbs, and found ample evidence that developers built an excessive amount of parking in new residential developments, at the expense of traffic and the affordability of public transportation.

Related:

StreetsblogUSA: apartments with free parking reduce public transport ridership

A handful of projects that the BPDA approved in 2020 avoid all on-site parking, whatever it is: a new mixed-use building proposed for Boylston Street in the Fenway neighborhood, for example, would add 477 new apartments with retail and theater space on the ground floor, without a parking garage.

And in Roxbury, the project Northampton Street Residences (pictured at the top of this article), will replace an above-ground parking lot with a new 6-story building containing 47 affordable homes adjacent to Southwest Corridor Park, just one block from the Massachusetts Ave station. Orange Line.

Most of the BPDA-approved commercial and institutional construction projects that were approved in 2020 will also not build new parking garages.

Last year, the BPDA approved 2.3 million square feet of new construction among 9 non-residential projects, including hotels, offices and laboratory buildings.

According to the BPDA, only two of these projects will include on-site parking: a new television studio WBZ-TV on Soldiers Field Road in Allston, which will include a 140-space parking lot, and a multi-building project in Kenmore Square, which will include a 60-space parking garage.

BPDA 2020 project approvals for commercial and institutional developments

“TOD” designates projects located in neighborhoods oriented towards public transport. Source: BPDA

Purely commercial projects
Total in TOD % NEVER
Projects 7 5 71%
Total area 1,610,458 1 445 385 90%
Parking spaces 200 60 30%
Purely institutional projects
Total in TOD % NEVER
Projects 2 2 100%
Total area 688,750 688,750 100%
Parking spaces 0 0 0%
read more
Parking garage

The new cool in parking garage design

by Deena S. Hawkins on

The new cool in parking garage design

Parking garages present an aesthetic challenge to even the most creative design minds. Their vast scale and monotonous appearance is necessitated by their function, but comes with the difficulty of making garages visually interesting instead of just overwhelming. Coating a parking garage in a single material can add visual interest and texture to create a more human connection. However, this in turn creates concerns about bringing light and air into the garage.

To balance the aesthetic and functional needs of parking garages, Kaynemaile reinvented two-thousand-year-old chainmail armor into an architectural mesh that reduces solar heat gain and creates an interesting facade while allowing ventilation and transparency. visual. Unlike a panel facade, this system can be manufactured to any height and width without the need for annoying joints, ideal for large scale applications like a massive garage. Here are some case studies that take advantage of the unique properties of this polycarbonate mesh.

Bold waves for the Pacific Fair parking garage

Located on the Gold Coast in Australia, this parking lot had a predetermined structural framework within which the pavement system would need to function. With the unlimited screen size, however, designers always had the opportunity to explore different design concepts. Reducing heat gain while maintaining airflow was crucial in the subtropical climate of the Hold Coast. Kaynemaile reduces both radiant heat and thermal conductive heat by up to 70% without sacrificing daylight, ventilation or visual transparency.

Pacific Fair parking garage, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Angus Martin
Pacific Fair parking garage, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Angus Martin
Pacific Fair parking garage, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Angus Martin
Pacific Fair parking garage, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Angus Martin

The three-dimensional facade creates a wave pattern, reminiscent of the neighboring Pacific Ocean, using a layer of champagne-colored mesh in front of a second translucent navy-colored mesh. The double layers give the facade a radically different look from day to night. In daylight, the sun catches the rippling champagne mesh, hitting it at different angles across the facade. At night, on the other hand, architectural lighting highlights the marine layer behind, which ripples in the breeze as the structure shines from within.

Pacific Fair parking garage, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Angus Martin
Pacific Fair parking garage, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Angus Martin

Sun shading for the Westfield carousel

Westfield Carousel is a shopping center near Perth, Australia. Three-dimensional mesh pyramids span the four facades of the huge complex, for a total area of ​​nearly 7,000 square feet (or 650 square meters). The pyramids are created from a shimmering bronze colored mesh which gives a vibrant look to the Australian sun.

Westfield carousel, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Dion Robeson
Westfield carousel, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Dion Robeson
Westfield carousel, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Dion Robeson
Westfield carousel, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Dion Robeson

The steel substructure was installed first, with a Kaynemaile mesh then applied to each rectangular frame. The simple and versatile mounting system made installation quick and easy, even given the scale of the project. Again, for Australia’s hot climate, it was imperative to keep air flowing throughout the garage. The mesh has an open structure of about 80%, which means that it will not hamper ventilation in the parking lot.

Westfield carousel, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Dion Robeson
Westfield carousel, designed by the Scentre group. Image © Dion Robeson

Seamless parking garage exterior inspired by leather sofa

This multi-story parking lot in Adelaide was covered with just eight Kaynemaile mesh screens, the largest of which was about 190 feet wide by 52 feet high (or 58 by 16 meters). The unique design was inspired by a leather sofa and involved large-scale prototyping to achieve the desired look while maintaining fast installation speeds. Each large screen has been lifted and secured in a single day, the faceplate features “buttons” that give depth and texture to the screen through the way sunlight bounces off them.

Agostino Group Parking Garage, Tectvs. Image © Iain Bond
Agostino Group Parking Garage, Tectvs. Image © Iain Bond
Agostino Group Parking Garage, Tectvs. Image © Iain Bond
Agostino Group Parking Garage, Tectvs. Image © Iain Bond

The system is durable and impact resistant, yet flexible enough to allow for creative and organic facades like this one. The mesh is made from high performance thermoplastic which is thermally stable from -40 to 428 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 120 degrees Celsius). It won’t oxidize or corrode like wire mesh, and it won’t stain surrounding surfaces with rust when it rains. The mineral pigments are unalterable and the mesh also retains its tensile strength over time. The material is fully recyclable using low-energy processes and its unique manufacturing process reduces waste by producing only the amount needed for each job.

Agostino Group Parking Garage, Tectvs. Image courtesy of Kaynemaile
Agostino Group Parking Garage, Tectvs. Image courtesy of Kaynemaile

For more information on Kaynemaile, check out their first E-Paper.

read more
Parking garage

State College: Parking Garage Repair and Construction Overview

by Deena S. Hawkins on

State College Borough has been asked to spend around $ 4 million over the next three years – and $ 7.3 million on a 10-year plan – to keep its four parking lots in working order, based on a report examined Monday by the borough council.

According to the condition assessment report, which is carried out by an external consultant approximately every seven years, repairs should be made to correct structural problems, improve waterproofing, stabilize cracked facades and other fixtures, in order to ‘Ensure the garages and their 1,563 combined parking spaces last.

The projected cost this year alone is $ 1.48 million, nearly half of which is for the Beaver Avenue garage.

“These are expenses that are going to be necessary to maintain these vital parking assets,” added Ed Holmes, interim parking director for the borough.

Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the borough’s parking fund – on-street parking and garages remained free for long periods of 2020 – the borough will have to borrow money for the three-year plan short term and refinance the old debt. The Board will have to approve everything and it is expected to vote on the borrowing authorization at the next regular meeting on March 15th.

Here’s a closer look at each parking garage, recommended repairs / issues and associated costs, by Walker Consultants at Monday’s Borough Council meeting:

Garage on avenue des Castors

Built: 2005 (Precast concrete of normal weight)

Parking spaces: 529 (195,000 square feet)

Estimated costs over 3 years: $ 1.21 million

Estimated costs over 10 years: $ 3.28 million

beaveravenue_brick.jpg
Walker Consultants Condition Assessment Report

Yes, this is the “new” – or at least the “newest” – garage. But, at 16, it’s time to invest more in repairs so it can last another 40 years, officials said. This is why the projected costs of this garage over the next decade are over $ 1 million more than the next most expensive garage.

One of the main concerns here, at least in the short term, is the loose, cracked and bulging thin brick facade. Most of the loose areas were removed in January, but Walker Consultants said the extent of the damage was more severe than initially thought – and recommended removing the brick facade entirely and replacing it with a textured coating to prevent the brick from potentially falling on pedestrians. .

Repairing this brick facade is expected to cost about two-thirds of the estimated $ 741,000 in repairs to the Beaver Avenue garage for 2021. This ($ 485,000) is more than double the facade repair costs for the other three garages – combined – over the next 10 years.

“This brick is starting to present security problems”, admitted the director of the borough, Tom Fountaine. “So we’re going to have to sort this out. “

Overall, however, the garage is still considered to be in “good” condition. Other problems include chips and cracks in the stairs, occasional deterioration at the base of some handrails, loose support rods, sealant issues, window seals in fairly poor condition, broken light fixtures or aging, door rust, damaged / missing signage, etc.

Fraser Street Garage

Built: 1985 (CIP P / T Normal weight concrete)

Parking spaces: 335 (154,000 square feet)

Estimated costs over 3 years: $ 564,000

Estimated costs over 10 years: $ 929,000

fraserstreet_beams.jpg
Walker Consultants Condition Assessment Report

Although it is the second oldest parking garage in the borough and the third largest, its projected costs remain the cheapest.

“Very minimal work must be done with the Fraser Street garage over the next few years,” said Borough Facilities Director Thomas Brown.

Walker Consultants has labeled the garage as in “fair” condition with the garage having at least 10 years in its lifespan. However, in order for it to last a little longer, the garage will need to modernize and maintain its waterproofing system due to corrosion and deterioration.

The maintenance cost in 2021 here will be around $ 124,000. The most expensive repair will be the injection of epoxy into the concrete slabs, with an expected price of $ 34,500. Other issues to be addressed include deterioration / cracking of beams, separation near vertical joints, unpainted edges, changes in elevation (slopes) that need to be painted, leaching, sealant of perimeter windows, corrosion of balustrade bases, etc.

McAllister Street Garage

Built: 1991 (Precast concrete of normal weight)

Parking spaces: 218 (66,000 square feet)

Estimated costs over 3 years: $ 645,000

Estimated costs over 10 years: $ 1.1 million

mcallisterstreet_flange.jpg
Walker Consultants Condition Assessment Report

The smallest car park in the city center of the district has no particular problems. In fact, the problems here are recurring.

The McAllister Street garage has a number of chips and cracks in the concrete at the roof, in addition to broken shear connections. “We’ve been doing it for years in this parking lot,” Brown said.

That garage shouldn’t be a priority this year, with just $ 20,000 in costs planned – and $ 625,000 in costs planned for next year.

According to Walker Consultants, the structure is in fair condition with some areas in poor condition, such as the poured-in-place concrete retaining wall along the exterior ramp. Other issues include loose aerial concrete, broken concrete at edges, wall cracking due to moisture issues, out-of-code ramps, washout, leak stains, column deterioration, worn paint, faulty window seals, clogged drains, etc.

Pugh Street Garage

Built: 1972 (CIP P / T lightweight concrete)

Parking spaces: 491 (158,000 square feet)

Estimated costs over 3 years: $ 1.43 million

Estimated costs over 10 years: $ 1.98 million

pughstreetSLAB.jpg
Walker Consultants Condition Assessment Report

Pugh Street is unique in several ways. On the one hand, it’s the oldest downtown garage in the borough for 13 years – and it’s the only garage to use lightweight concrete. Maybe then it shouldn’t be too surprising that this garage is nearing the end of its lifespan, even with repairs.

Depending on the borough, the Pugh Street garage can probably be used for another 7-10 years. After that? Well, that’s something the borough council will have to discuss. (“Strategic abandonment” or a new structure are the two options.) Either way, in order for this garage to remain functional in recent years, there are some structural components that need to be repaired. Further tests are also underway to rule out a change in the quality of the concrete, which could increase expected costs.

The cost in 2021 alone will be $ 591,000, with the largest expense – repairing slab edges due to cracks – accounting for more than half of that amount. Other issues include sealer failures, deterioration of edgings and columns, rusted handrail bases, out-of-code ramp guardrails, washout cracks, paint peeling, elevator maintenance , dirty and aging signage, etc.

The full report on the condition of the four garages, and their associated costs, can be found on Monday’s Borough Council agenda at statecollegepa.us.

Josh Moyer received his BA in Journalism from Penn State and his MS from Columbia. He has been involved in sports and news writing for almost 20 years. He’s got the best athlete he’s ever seen like Tecmo Super Bowl’s Bo Jackson.

read more
Parking spaces

Spacious condo unit includes 2 parking spaces

by Deena S. Hawkins on

On the market for the first time since the original owners bought it over 45 years ago, unit 343 at 65 Grove St. offers the opportunity to own a spacious condo in the immaculately maintained Wellesley Green complex .

The 1,815 square foot unit has the largest floor plan available in the complex and offers serene views over the manicured grounds. The two bedroom, two bathroom unit has excellent storage and an office adjoining the living room provides a desirable private space for working from home. The unit also includes two notarized parking spaces in the underground garage.

Joanne Baron of The Shulkin Wilk Group / Compass is marketing the unit for $ 950,000.

Wellesley Green is located next to Fuller Brook Park and a two minute walk to the shops, restaurants, train and Wellesley Square public library.

The condo development was built in three phases from 1972 to 1974 and has 149 units spread over three four-story residential buildings on seven acres of land surrounding a central courtyard. There is also a pool and club room for residents.

Early one morning in December after a heavy snowfall, workers were out in force at the well-managed Wellesley Green condo complex. The sidewalks were cleared, the outdoor parking lots and the roadways were cleared of snow and a manager walked around the site to supervise the work. Wellesley Green’s on-site staff consists of an on-site manager, a building maintenance superintendent and building cleaning staff. The entrance to the caretaker’s house is open 24 hours a day.

The building's glass doors open into an attractive lobby.

The building’s glass doors open onto a huge four-story atrium. Open balconies overlook the lobby to create an airy and modern atmosphere in the building. The individual mailboxes of the residences are located in the vestibule of each building which has an elevator and a staircase to access each floor.

There are six units per floor.

Unit 343 is on the third floor of the quiet building and is sunny, spacious and ready to welcome owners to add a sophisticated and fresh decor to make it their own.

The front door opens into a hall with wooden floors which leads to a carpeted living room. There is an entrance to the kitchen on the left. A large closet in the foyer is one of the condo’s many generous storage spaces.

The office is next to the living room and includes a picture window with lovely views.

The living room measures 15 by almost 27 feet and has oversized glass doors leading out to a balcony with stunning views of the grounds. The dining room opens onto the living room and has wooden floors and a door to the outside hallway which serves as an emergency exit.

The kitchen is light and airy with white counters, wooden cabinets and tiled floors.

The kitchen is light and airy with white counters, wooden cabinets and tiled floors. There is a double stainless steel sink and appliances include Hotpoint double ovens and electric range, GE refrigerator and Kitchen Aid dishwasher. The washer and dryer are also located here. There is a door to the dining room.

The dining room is next to the sunny living room.

The office is located next to the living room and includes a bay window with views of the field, a walk-in closet and a door to the rear hallway.

The living room includes a balcony with stunning views of the well-maintained park.

Both bedrooms are located off the hallway which has two large closets and a full bathroom. Both bedrooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the landscaped gardens. The master bedroom measures nearly 12 feet by 17 feet and has two walk-in closets and a full bathroom. The second bedroom is roughly the same generous size and has two wardrobes.

There is additional storage near the unit’s parking spaces in the underground garage.

DETAILS

Address: 65 Grove Street, Unit 343, Wellesley

BR / BA: Two bedrooms, two full bathrooms

Cut: 1,815 square feet of living space

Age: 1973

Price: $ 950,000

Tax: $ 11,329

HOA dues: $ 1,145 per month

Characteristics of the house: On the market for the first time since the purchase by the original owners, this Wellesley Green condo offers the opportunity to make it your own with stylish new decor. This unit offers the most spacious floor plan in the 149-unit complex with two bedrooms plus a living room, kitchen, dining room and a private balcony overlooking the immaculately maintained grounds. There is abundant storage space and two notarized underground parking spaces are included with the unit. The complex has 24 hour security, club room, swimming pool and additional storage space for each unit. Walk to Wellesley Square, train, restaurants, shops.

Near: Hunnewell Primary School

Contact: For more information, contact Joanne Baron of The Shulkin Wilk Group / Compass at 508-904-4822 directly or joa[email protected]. This house can be viewed by appointment.

read more
Parking garage

How parking garage conversions can help fight overbuilding

by Deena S. Hawkins on

The excess supply of parking spaces for office buildings continues to be inefficient in terms of capital expenditure and material waste.

I first wrote about the unrealistic parking ratios expected by the real estate brokerage community in 2018. Brokers continue to operate on the principle of protecting the tenants they represent, and CMBS lenders continue to regularly dictate parking requirements that far exceed the current or future needs of corporate office facilities. Four parking spaces per 1,000 rentable square feet of office space is an outdated standard that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of rarely or never used parking spaces.

One of the area’s most successful developers, Granite Properties, has completed a formal study in its Granite Park which continues to serve as a relevant measure and clearly identifies the problem of excessive parking in suburban office buildings. His study found that 2,600 parking spaces at his mixed-use complex had never been used.

BOKA Powell estimates that the order of magnitude of the investment in this unused space is equivalent to just under $ 40 million: 28,000 cubic meters of concrete placed, 144,000 man-hours spent on construction and 819,000 square feet of rigid, single-use concrete structure. Opponents say that as buildings age, the tenant category drops a notch or two, resulting in more office uses at the back of the house (i.e., office space).

But will he do it?

Vertically integrated podium parking

It is likely that after COVID, parking demand trends will continue as they did before, indicating an increased reliance on rental cars, carpooling and the use of public transportation. Autonomous vehicles are likely to become more common over the next decade, and the demand for car parking will decline over time.

So what is the alternative to the single use parking structure?

The solution is to integrate podium parking in high and mid-rise office buildings vertically in its simplest form. Rather than imagine converting parking spaces into offices, imagine building future office base and envelope spaces and use part of the building for parking until those parking spaces are no longer needed.

Office buildings and parking lots are fundamentally different types of occupancy and types of construction. The differences are substantial and include different heights from floor to floor, different live loads (surprisingly offices require 2.5 times the load capacity), floor flatness considerations, ventilation, requirements temperature control, fire extinguishing systems and output requirements.

Ironically, many recently built garages are clad in materials designed to match the office buildings they support, including glass curtain walls, architectural composite metal panels, and architectural precast concrete. Mechanical ventilation of garages in these cases is common.

The more the garage matches the quality of the windows of the office tower, the easier it is to jump while protecting some or all of the parking floors integrated into the integrated structure.

Ideally, individual floors can be decommissioned as parking floors and returned to service as an office from the top of the garage down. Major technical challenges need to be overcome, such as the connectivity of the intermediate parking levels to the external ramps, as shown in the graph. Central cooling installations also need to be designed to accommodate future office conversion and require additional chillers, pumps and fresh air supply. Aftermarket elevator shafts may offer the flexibility to add elevator cabins and machines in conjunction with office floor conversions, or elevator capacity may be overloaded early on (if the number of floors to be converted does not exceed the capacity of the base building’s transport system).

Cost-benefit analysis

In 2020, the initial cost to add a floor of white counters ranged from $ 160 to $ 190 per square foot. The cost of building a conventional podium garage level, clad in materials to match the office building (but without increasing floor to floor height or increasing payload) ranges from $ 90 at $ 110 per square foot. Increasing the garage floor-to-floor height and payload capacity will add $ 20 to $ 30 per square foot. The initial overhead to build a future proof garage level will be $ 60 to $ 70 per square foot.

Therefore, consider the benefit of adding multiple floors of office space over the next decade, where the cost of converting to add bathrooms, ventilation rooms, power distribution, fiber distribution, and access. to elevators is less than $ 60 per square foot, compared to $ 160 to $ 190 per square foot (adjusted for inflation) to build additional office floor space.

If municipalities are serious about reducing the footprint of conventional, rigid and inefficient parking lots, they should consider offering an incentive in the form of tax credits or construction cost subsidies for sustainable garages.

I urge other members of the real estate community to join the fight for the right size parking lots and commit to providing thought leadership and further study to encourage the sustainability of parking structures and minimize the effects. long-term negatives created by overconstruction of the parking lot.

Don Powell is a partner and primary manager of BOKA Powell.

read more
Parking spaces

Proposed TOD project of 36 units with 15 parking spaces & 2 or 4 affordable apartments. in Jefferson Park receives mixed reviews – Nadig Newspapers

by Deena S. Hawkins on

by BRIAN NADIG

Tenants of a proposed 36-unit apartment building with 15 parking spaces at Northwest Highway and Carmen Avenue in Jefferson Park are expected to pay between $ 150 and $ 300 per month for a parking space, and those who live in the four-bedroom apartment building floors would not qualify for a residential permit parking permit for side streets in the area.

Project lawyer Paul Kolpak told a virtual community meeting on December 3 that the goal is to provide “an economic deterrent” to potential renters with cars given the limited number of spaces. parking on site. He added that the building would be registered with the city clerk’s office as “ineligible” for the parking permit in the event that a tenant attempted to apply for a permit. According to residents, there is currently no parking permit on Route du Nord-Ouest.

“It’s a huge assumption (that tenants wouldn’t have a car),” said one resident. He added that existing residents in the area are “playing musical chairs” looking for parking and Carmen is a busy street at rush hour, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross.

Kolpak said the building would target young professionals looking to live in a market-priced apartment near a transit hub and who may not qualify for affordable housing due to their income level.

The zoning code would require four affordable housing units for the project, but the developer is considering making a partial buyout of the requirement, reducing the number of affordable units to two, according to Kolpak. Affordable housing, offered at below-market rents, is geared towards households earning up to 60% of the region’s median income.

A resident asked that the project include more affordable units given the density of the project. Kolpak noted that there will be a significant number of affordable units across the street at 5150 N. Northwest Hwy., Where a 75-unit mixed-income complex is under construction.

The building would be constructed on a vacant 11,749-square-foot lot at 5071 N. Northwest Hwy., Which was rezoned in 2007 to RM-4.5 to accommodate a 14-unit building with a 14-space underground parking garage. However, it was never built.

The current project developer is seeking additional density allowances and reduced parking requirements due to the site’s proximity to the parking lot at Jefferson Park Metra Station, 5020 N. Northwest Hwy., And the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N Milwaukee Ave.

Normally, the proposed B2-3 zoning would not allow more than 29 residential units, but according to the city’s transit-oriented development guidelines, the maximum would be 39 apartments.

In addition, normally one parking space per unit is required, but this is waived for TOD sites. No parking would be required for this project.

Rents would be around $ 1,000 for studios (350 square feet), $ 1,200 to $ 1,400 for one-bedroom units (478 to 627 square feet) and $ 1,500 to $ 1,750 for two-bedroom units (628 to 708 square feet), according to Kolpak. . Half of the units would have one bedroom, 15 would have two bedrooms and three would be studios.

In addition, a roof terrace is planned, but there would be no balconies, and six of the 15 parking spaces would be in a garage, the parking being accessible from Carmen or an alley. There would also be an elevator.

About 75 people attended the meeting, and the overall reaction was mixed, with some praising the project’s TOD concept and others saying it would be too dense.

“We have improvements to make,” said Alderman James Gardiner (45th) after the meeting. “I take everyone’s ideas into consideration” before a decision is made.

One resident said the project would be an improvement over the existing vacant land there, while another expressed concern that the building could hamper efforts to improve the neighborhood’s ‘walkability’. . She recommended that the building be further back from the sidewalk. Along Carmen, it would stretch 1 to 3 feet from the sidewalk.

Meanwhile, there have been some objections to Zoom’s “chat room”, where comments can be written during the meeting, being closed to the public. Moderators said the questions and comments written in the chat were being read and people could not speak while their question was being read.

The site is located just blocks from several approved or proposed development projects, which include 75 units at 5150 N. Northwest Hwy., 48 units at 5342 W. Argyle St., 114 units at 5306 W. Ainslie St., and 192 units at 4930 N. Milwaukee Ave.

read more
Parking spaces

Developer proposes to reduce number of residences and parking spaces in Bethesda project

by Deena S. Hawkins on

A rendering of the proposed residential buildings and the connection of a floor to the ground floor.

Courtesy of documents from the Montgomery County Planning Department

A developer seeking to build two apartment buildings adjacent to the Bethesda Marriott on Pooks Hill Road has proposed to join the two towers with a lobby on the ground floor and reduce the number of units and parking spaces included in the project.

Next week, the Montgomery County Planning Council will consider the proposed change that would reduce the number of units from 631 to 562 and reduce the number of parking spaces from 804 to 520, according to the planning documents.

Plans for the previous project called for the construction of two buildings with separate entrances and parking garages, but updated plans link them to a lobby on the ground floor.

A report from Planning Board staff does not explain what prompted the change.

Each tower will be approximately 135 feet high, according to Planning Board documents.

The proposed changes would reduce the overall density of the development from 645,657 square feet to 510,000 square feet.

Fifteen percent – about 84 – of the 562 units will be designated as affordable housing, according to local law. The 520 parking spaces would be in an underground parking garage under the residential building.

The Planning Council will review the changes at its September 24 meeting.

Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at [email protected]

read more
Parking garage

University’s new seven-level parking garage will add more than 800 spaces

by Deena S. Hawkins on

The University of Nevada, the landscape of Reno and surrounding areas continue to transform as the Gateway District stretches to Interstate 80. The University Gateway, which is part of the master plan of the University, will be a vibrant neighborhood center focused on retail and education developed primarily by the University. It will extend campus life south of the current campus, in the area between 9th Street and Interstate 80.

The Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission began work on Virginia Street between I-80 and the West Stadium Parking Complex this spring to improve sidewalks, redeploy roads, add RAPID bus stations and install a roundabout. . With slower traffic and pedestrian flow this spring due to stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus outbreak, the RTC transit extension project has progressed rapidly in its improvements and is ahead of schedule. schedule with plans to complete construction by mid-fall.

The University issues more than 10,000 parking permits per year with a current surplus of 1,300 permits. Projected growth in students and faculty indicates that by 2021 that number will drop to a surplus of 600 permits. The Gateway parking complex will add 814 additional parking spaces to the south end of the campus. The design concept provides for a seven-story structure with a proposed ADA-compliant pedestrian bridge to connect from the fourth floor of the parking complex.

The architects for the parking complex are Watry Design, Incorporated, and the work is being performed by Clark / Sullivan Construction, a construction manager at the Hazardous Construction Delivery Method.

Construction will begin this fall and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2022. The structure will measure 250,000 square feet at an estimated cost of $ 33.2 million. The cost of the complex will be paid with funds the University receives from the sale of parking permits.

The complex will initially include 40 hourly spaces (with pay-by-number and phone-based options), 17 disabled spaces, two electric vehicle spaces, motorcycle parking, blue light emergency telephones and other features. .

Two memorial trees from the University Arboretum, one in memory of Eugene S. Faust and the other in memory of Jim and Cleo Ronald, which are located at the bottom of the stairs on 9th Street, will remain .

The University continues to limit license increases to adjustments based on inflation and will institute the license fee approved by the Nevada System of Higher Education this fiscal year at three percent. The increase will be included in permits sold as of July 1, 2020.

read more
Parking spaces

Many SUVs, trucks do not fit in garages, municipal parking spaces

by Deena S. Hawkins on

United States today interrogates the automotive landscape and took note of the number of full-size SUVs and pickup trucks that do not fit our midsize world. Buyers are finding it harder to integrate their chassis-mounted body purchases into their standard residential garages and municipal parking spaces, and the problem is likely to get worse. Danley’s, which builds garages, told the newspaper that the typical four dimensions of a home garage are 18 feet wide by 20 feet deep, a square 20 feet by 20 feet, 20 feet by 22 feet or a square. even taller at 22 feet by 22 feet. If an F-150 buyer has a home with the second largest garage, they’ll want to take the truck home for a test drive – the F-150 Lariat with a 6.5-foot bed is 209.3 inches long, leaving just under 15.5 inches of clearance at both ends, the eight-foot bed reduces that to six inches of clearance at each end, and an F-250 Super Cab or larger is prohibited. Twitter user Owen described the situation in the following words: “Full size? The prices are insane and most don’t even fit a full size garage.”

There are similar issues with SUVs, a dealership president told USA Today, “The Tahoe is the new Suburban and the new Suburban is a school bus.” The 2021 Suburban would leave about 7.2 inches of headroom at both ends in a 20-foot-deep garage. These examples of pickup trucks and SUVs assume that owners are not trying to store anything along the back wall of the garage and that the pickup trucks are not lifted; even though the length is correct, a truck owner said his 88-inch tall Ford couldn’t fit through the door opening. The problem is not limited to what we think of as large vehicles, especially when so many homes have garages designed for when cars were much smaller. The problem is not new either, the San Diego Union-Tribune editing a story in 2007 about a guy having problems with his Ford Explorer and Acura MDX. In this case, part of the problem was that the city council recommended that builders put two doors in two-car garages, as council members found it more aesthetic than a large door.

Some owners today don’t care about the gap, just park their trucks in the driveway or on the street. Others, especially buyers looking at upcoming electric trucks, don’t like compromises. Two reservation holders for the 231.7-inch-long Tesla Cybertruck have said they will give serious consideration to making the deals if the truck does not fit into their garages. One of them said, “I’m not going to spend $ 50,000, $ 60,000, $ 70,000, $ 80,000 on a vehicle and then have to run an extension cord outside the garage or outside socket. ” Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that engineers were considering reducing some dimensions of the truck and adding air suspension to help lower the height.

Parking garage operators are starting to see this and take action. In New York City, some garages charge oversize fees for large vehicles and “super oversize” fees for body-on-chassis vans and SUVs.

But with cheap gasoline, lengthening loan terms, and buyers increasingly clamoring for more space or amenities, vehicles are likely to continue to grow, leaving more garages to be used as storage units and man caves. .

Related video:

read more
Parking spaces

Planned Florida Blue Garage Includes Urban Park, 869 Parking Spaces

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Plans for Florida Blue’s $ 22.5 million Brooklyn parking garage on Magnolia, Forest, and Park streets feature a park-like setting with spaces for artwork.

The Jacksonville-based insurer has filed concept plans for the garage with the Downtown Development Review Board, which will consider the initial approval at its Oct. 10 meeting, according to WJCT News partner, the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Florida Blue contracted with Jacksonville-based RS&H to design the parking lot structure and landscaping. Jacksonville contractor Danis Builders LLC will lead the construction.

The renderings show a four-story parking lot with approximately 869 spaces, up from 750 spaces defined in the Florida Blue development agreement approved on August 7 by the board of directors of the Downtown Investment Authority.

The building footprint will cover 1.62 acres of the 2.32-acre property, according to the site plan, with a first floor of 70,272 square feet.

This indicates a total of four decks of approximately 281,000 square feet.

Credit Via Jacksonville Daily Record

/

Via Jacksonville Daily Record

A proposed urban park area would be 0.05 acres, or 2,274 square feet.

The proposed urban park area would be 0.05 acres, or 2,274 square feet, and would be part of an enhanced streetscape around the property.

An expanded version of this story that includes additional renderings, a look at why certain architectural choices were made and why the garage is needed is at JaxDailyRecord.com.

read more
Uncategorized

Tindall Mississippi to provide prefabricated parking structures to Louis Armstrong Airport

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Louis Armstrong Parking Decks Antenna

“Their team is attentive to the strict requirements of construction and specializes in production efficiency every step of the way,” said David Evans, project manager at Broadmoor Construction.

MOSS POINT, Miss (PRWEB)

The Mississippi division of Tindall Corporation has won two parking projects for the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Our team is honored to have the opportunity to produce these structures for Louis Armstrong Airport with the help of our partners,” said Ed Baldinger, project manager for the Mississippi division of Tindall. “Our success comes from the combined efforts of the entire team for excellent service.

For the east parking garage, the Tindall team will use two cranes to install approximately 2,200 prefabricated parts, including beams, columns, double tees, wall panels and stairs. Each crane will be able to install about 70 parts per week, which will increase the assembly speed. The prefabricated phase of the eastern parking garage began at the end of February 2019 with an assembly schedule of 16 weeks.

The exterior of this bridge will have speed ramps on each side to keep the interior flat. It will be connected to the terminal by six elevators, numerous stairs and a covered passage.

“Tindall has been a valuable partner throughout the design and planning process for this next structure,” said David Evans, Project Manager at Broadmoor Construction. “Their team is attentive to the strict requirements of the construction and specializes in production efficiency every step of the way. New Orleans-based Broadmoor Construction was the general contractor for the East Parking Garage.

The prefabricated erection of the original parking deck was finalized in January 2018, approximately 2 months ahead of the construction schedule. It will also have six elevators, numerous staircases, an elevated pedestrian walkway and a car entrance leading to the elevated terminal roadway on the 3rd floor. He is currently in the detail phase of construction, painting the stripes of the parking spaces and completing the elevators. The general contractor for this garage is HGBM-JV.

The two parking lots will total more than 1,550,000 square feet and will provide more than 4,000 parking spaces when completed.

For more than 10 years, Tindall’s Mississippi division has produced remarkable work along the Gulf Coast. Tindall produced the prefabricated pylons that greet Louisiana State University fans at Tiger Stadium and the award-winning Precast / Prestressed Institute (PCI) parking lot at Park at South Market in New Orleans.

The team simultaneously maintains production efficiency while developing cost-effective and rapid solutions for their customers from their state-of-the-art 100-acre production facility, a true example of their best precast job.

To learn more about Tindall, visit http://www.tindallcorp.com.

About Tindall

Based in Spartanburg, SC, Tindall Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of precast concrete in North America. With five production plants located throughout the Mid Atlantic and South Central United States, Tindall provides engineering, manufacturing, shipping and installation solutions for precast concrete systems. and prestressed and underground utility structures.

Share the article on social media or by email:

read more
Parking spaces

Houston is growing, but its parking spots may not be – Houston Public Media

by Deena S. Hawkins on
Parking meters in downtown Houston on September 20, 2018.

According to one estimate, Greater Houston will exceed 10 million people by 2040. That would mean about three million more people would be added to the region. But so many additional cars may not require additional parking spaces.

“The buildings are not built for today. If you do your job right, you are trying to ask yourself: how is this going to be a good investment over 25 to 50 years? »Declared David Mincberg, general manager, officer of Flagship Properties Company, a company that invests in commercial real estate. He is also president of Houston first, which operates the City of Houston’s underground parking lot, including the George R. Brown Convention Center and Jones Hall.

Mincberg said parking needs are changing because the way people move is changing.

“As rail grows in Houston, Texas, you have more people, and more people, and more people using Uber and Lyft, and maybe autonomous vehicles in the near future; the near future being a decade. A decade for a building is not very long, ”said Mincberg. “And what is the ideal point between” what should an investor-developer do “and” a municipality should she demand? ” “”

Click here for more in-depth features.

How the city is responding to changing developments

City officials are already considering how to deal with Houston’s growing population.

“We have to find ways to get cars off the streets,” said Houston Pro-Tem Mayor Ellen Cohen. She is also a member of the District C council, which includes updated parking systems for busy areas like Washington Avenue and Montrose. “We have to be able to get people to Houston by bus, light rail, integrated transit. And how can we do that so that people aren’t driving cars with one person behind the wheel?”

Mayor Pro-Tem Ellen Cohen in her office on September 20, 2018.

Cohen said parking regulations have changed and the city has tested less in the city center.

“Instead of having regulations requiring restaurants, for example, to have an ‘X’ number of places available, we are testing the idea – which is currently underway downtown – but in the city center where you don’t need to have “X” number of parking spaces. You come to the restaurant, you can park in the adjacent streets. That sort of thing. So that it just leaves more space for people park where they can. “

“A third of its residents in this new apartment did not have a car at all”

Market needs have led downtown Houston to be exempt from parking restrictions for years, said Andy Icken, city of Houston development manager. He said the changes in development have also resulted in changes in the parking needs in the city center.

“Someone built a new multi-family project in the city center, which has a lot of people renting out apartments. And they instituted a one-car-to-apartment unit process, and they actually agreed. to buy it back to the individual, “said Icken.” So what this owner told me was: he discovered that about a third of his residents in this new apartment did not have a car at all. others who have it would make good economic sense. “

Andy Icken, Director of Development for the City of Houston, reviews the documents in his office on October 1, 2018.

Not having a car can be a growing trend in Houston. Icken said many places in the city have evolved into mixed-use development, such as the Galleria district.

“If we look at the total square footage of the Galleria area, which is over 35 million square feet, one-third is commercial office, one-third is residential and one-third is actually retail space,” said Icken. . “It requires fewer cars if people are to go to this area.”

Icken added that they have more projects coming up in the city looking to have mixed use because it’s convenient for people. He said they are considering more rules and regulations to help improve pedestrian communities, like Rice Village. Another factor to consider, Icken said, is the technology.

“Autonomous vehicles are going to play a role, longer term,” said Icken.

the Harris County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO) has already set up a prototype plan for its first autonomous vehicle, in University of South Texas. And Icken said the city supports this plan and is thinking of others.

This is a shuttle currently in use in the Las Vegas Innovation District. METRO says it is potentially considering a similar project for the Texas Southern University campus.

“We actually believe that the rapid bus line in the middle of the Galleria can be converted into a self-driving vehicle. We are planning experimental work on an autonomous vehicle going from the convention center to airports. The technology needs to be improved, but it evolves every day and I think it’s up to us to see how we’re going to adapt to it.

In the years to come, that could mean big changes in a city where, right now, so many people are driving themselves.

To subscribe to Today in Houston

Fill out the form below to subscribe to our new daily HPM Newsroom editorial newsletter.

read more
Parking garage

Six-story structure combines parking garage with street-level retail

by Deena S. Hawkins on

A new six-story hybrid structure in New Orleans combines a 441-space parking garage with 27,000 square feet of street-level retail. Dubbed The Park, the 205,000-square-foot structure incorporates large prefabricated modules to create an aesthetic similar to the 19th-century warehouses prevalent in the city’s warehouse district.

The garage meets 50% outdoors Facade requirements for naturally ventilated parking structures and is made up of different widths of solid concrete and outdoor spaces to avoid the heavy grid of most garages. The design of the parking garage uses three prefabricated and integrally colored modules – parapet panels, structural beams and exterior panels – with five variations for each. The prefabricated panels on the two main street façades vary in size from 34 feet 10 inches in length to 41 feet in length, and are slick with strategically placed reveals for an added layer of detail.

Photo: Timothy Hursley.

See also: Helsinki Underground Art Museum opens to the public

The main entrance at street level changes from the industrial concrete of the arcade and marquee to a natural hardwood screen that lines up with the entrance. Steel canopies along Rue Girod offer merchants and pedestrians relief from the sun and rain.

Eskew + Dumez + Ripple designed the structure.

The main entrance to the ParkPhoto: Timothy Hursley.

read more
Parking garage

Automated parking garage opens in Oakland, California

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Dive brief:

  • The Hive Parking Structure, a fully automated parking lot, opened Monday in Oakland, California. Built on an area of ​​1,600 square feet, the structure is 55 feet high and can accommodate 39 cars.
  • Drivers arrive at the garage and park in a reception area before pressing a button to indicate that everyone is out of the car. The garage then takes the unoccupied vehicle on a series of automatic transporters in the structure to find a place. To collect the car, drivers have to scan their ticket at an electronic machine, then wait for it to be returned to them automatically.
  • Oakland-based CityLift Parking and developer Signature Development Group teamed up for the garage, which officials said used 69% less building materials per parking space than regular garages. In a statement, Signature Development Group president Mike Ghielmetti said the garage was “cost effective and environmentally friendly.”

Dive overview:

While this may be the first fully automated parking lot in Northern California, it’s not the first in the country or the world, although this latest opening represents the latest expansion in technology.

Already, similar structures exist in parts of New Jersey and in West Hollywood, California, where the city has saved more than a million dollars by installing a free-standing garage that can hold up to three times as many cars as a regular garage, according to Wired.

In an interview with Wired, Unitronics CEO Yair Goldberg, whose company installed the West Hollywood garage, said the structure reduces noise and emissions because car engines don’t run, and the fact that people don’t need to get in and out of cars in tight spaces meaning they can pack more vehicles. “What it does, it takes out all the turning radius, all the ramps, all the clearances for people to be able to walk in here or open their doors,” Goldberg said.

Building automated parking garages saves both space and money, as they are often cheaper to build and can hold two or three times as many cars as regular garages. In a statement, CityLift Parking CEO Scott Gable said the lack of land available for such structures means businesses need to think differently. “As land in the US urban core becomes scarce, automated parking solutions are the most cost-effective and efficient way for developers and public agencies to meet parking requirements in increasingly smaller footprints.” , did he declare.

& amp; amp; amp; lt; / center & amp; amp; amp; gt;
read more
Parking spaces

Downtown developments eliminate hundreds of parking spaces

by Deena S. Hawkins on

Since December 2016, downtown Oakland has lost hundreds of parking spots.

One garage closed due to seismic safety concerns and another was demolished to make way for a 400-foot tower. While another city-run garage is to be demolished, hundreds of additional spaces are expected to be removed.

With two BART stations, the area is very accessible to public transport, but parking was already limited before the garages closed.

The first to go was a municipal garage at 1414, rue Clay in December 2016. The 335-space structure was found to be seismically dangerous, so it was closed and traffic diverted to two other garages: the Dalziel garage in the basement of 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza and the City Center West garage in the 1239 Jefferson St.

So far, it’s unclear what the city might do with the Clay Street site.

About a year later, the three levels Parking garage for downtown merchants (1314 Franklin St.) was demolished, eliminating 520 other spaces. The structure will be replaced with a 400-foot tower consisting of 634 residential units, 17,000 square feet of retail space and 600 new parking spaces.

A 400-foot tower is planned on the site of the old downtown merchant parking garage.

Another city-run garage may also close soon; the Telegraph Plaza parking lot at 2100 Telegraph Ave. should be demolished once construction of a planned tower there begins.

This tower, called east line, would include 800,000 square feet of office space, 388 residential units and 85,000 square feet of retail space, according to developers Lane Partners and Strategic Urban Development Alliance.

The developers said any project should include provisions to replace the existing parking lot. Although the project’s website says construction could begin this year, it’s unclear how the developers would replace the parking lot.

The parking lot has also become narrower in other ways. A recent restructuring of Telegraph Avenue to include buffered bike lanes removed 39 on-street parking spaces, but the city added 22 parking meters on side streets to reduce that impact.

According to a January 2017 report from the Oakland Department of Transportation, the addition of bicycle lanes along the Telegraph between 20th and 29th Streets has boosted local merchants as sales tax revenue in the corridor has increased by ‘year after year.

Overall, the city has made an effort to encourage other means of transportation to the city center, not only by BART and bicycle, but through new car and bicycle sharing programs. Ford GoBike sharing started rolling out in Oakland last July and AAA launched a one-way carsharing service, Concert car sharing, in Oakland and Berkeley last April.

Despite the DOT report, some downtown retailers have reported that they are having difficulty, but at least one company is offering incentives for customers who cycle. Feelmore Adult Gallery (1703 Telegraph Ave.) has offered 10 percent off for cyclists over the past three years, according to owner Nenna Joiner.

Feelmore Adult Gallery offers discounts to cyclists.

“Feelmore has already been the subject of more than eight construction projects since opening, directly affecting our business with the loss of parking spaces right in front of our business,” Joiner said.

“We know the frustration the change brings,” she added, “but we also want to reward the people who take the time to shop with us during the Oakland transformation.”

read more
Parking spaces

Tiny House Design Floats Affordable Housing on Parking Spots

by Deena S. Hawkins on

400 square feet living in the air.

The latest hotspot proposed for micro-housing: car parks.

Raising the structure, a small Hawaiian miniature home company, plans to add compact, affordable housing to cities across the United States, without sacrificing parking. The company’s pre-engineered design supports the small dwellings on a trunk-like base so they float on the asphalt. Add “tree trim”, with exterior walls finished in green leaves to reduce air pollution and a roof that channels rainwater into the storage tank hidden in the “trunk”, and you have also sustainable architecture in the mix. (This stored water also helps weigh down small structures.)

fast company Remarks– that with approximately two billion parking spaces in the United States, many are often empty. “It’s just incredibly underutilized space,” Nathan Toothman, co-founder of Elevate Structure, told Fast Company. “There are huge oceans of concrete. In some cities, I think a third of the area is parking lots. We are trying to bring more use in this area.

The base of the houses would be 40 square feet, with rooms ranging from 250 to 400 square feet.

The startup is raising funds to build a demo on Starter.

Marielle Mondon is a freelance writer and journalist in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Philadelphia City Paper, Wild Magazineand PolicyMic. She previously reported on communities in upper Manhattan while earning a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Follow Marielle .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

read more
Parking spaces

Re-imagine parking spaces as micro-apartments – streetsblog usa

by Deena S. Hawkins on
This 135-square-foot micro-apartment was one of three designed by Savannah art students that were recently set up in an Atlanta parking lot. Photo: SCADpad.com

Can parking lots have a second life? A student project in Atlanta helps demonstrate the possibilities of each booth.

Students at Savannah College of Art and Design created three “SCADpads”: 135 square foot micro-apartments designed to fit the space defined by a single parking spot. Three prototypes of the modular homes, which cost between $ 40,000 and $ 60,000 to build, were installed in an Atlanta garage this spring, to help model what may be a more sustainable paradigm for the city.

Each micro-apartment has been designed by the students to reflect the culture of a different continent: Asia, North America and Europe. Each was equipped with a small kitchen, sofa bed, bathroom, and some high-tech features such as iPad-controlled ‘smart glass’ windows that can be hidden for privacy. . Additionally, each apartment included a ‘porch’ area, the size of an additional parking space, and a shared community garden that collects ‘gray water’ from the sink and shower.

The design of this apartment was inspired by North America. Photo: SCADpad.com
This is the apartment designed for North America. Photo: SCADpad.com

Since April, the SCAD facility has been welcoming people who spend the night, mainly college students and alumni.

Rebecca Burns, a writer for Guardian whose husband is a member of the SCAD faculty, recently spent the night in a SCADpad. She says it was a bit cramped, but not too bad overall:

I’ve lived in studios before, but nothing that small. However, while small in square footage, the SCADpad felt more spacious, thanks in large part to the airy design and those large, smart glass windows. However, the kitchen is tiny: impossible for two to work side by side. The sofas / beds are spacious: two of us got comfortable watching Italy play England on the iPad (the SCADpads come with fast Wi-Fi). But when friends stopped to visit us, we quickly learned that it was difficult to accommodate four people in one of the units.

There was no room for us to comfortably entertain our guests in our small apartments, but the common living room was relaxing and had great views of the horizon. The community garden provided a calming contrast to all the concrete – and made for salad for dinner.

This micro-apartment was inspired by Asia. Each apartment came with a patio the size of a parking space. Photo: SCADpads.com
Each SCAD apartment comes with a terrace the size of a parking space. Photo: SCADpads.com

Apartments 300 square feet or less have become an affordable option for young people in cities like Seattle, Washington, and even Cleveland and Providence, Rhode Island.

Hopefully installing the SCADpads will help enlighten Atlanta residents about a whole new range of possibilities for some of the city’s underused urban spaces.

A mini-kitchen for a mini apartment.
A mini-kitchen for a mini apartment.
read more
Parking spaces

SF Has Enough On-Street Parking Spaces To Fill California’s Coastline

by Deena S. Hawkins on
SF is crammed with car storage. This image only shows public parking spaces. Image: SFMTA

Clarification: California’s coastline (840 miles) is shorter than the end-to-end length of SF’s on-street parking spaces alone (900 miles). This post originally compared it to the length of SF’s total public parking supply (1,451 miles long), which is actually longer than the west coast of the United States from Mexico to Canada (1,360 miles). ).

Here’s a fact for naysayers who insist that SF absolutely needs every parking spot and can’t spare any for safer or more efficient streets: San Francisco has 441,950 publicly accessible parking spaces. Of that number, the 275,450 on-street parking spaces alone are enough to parallel park a line of cars 60 miles longer than the entire 840 mile California coastline, as the SFMTA pointed out. the SF examiner today. That’s enough parking to fill the parking lots that would cover the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, and Lake Merced.

The numbers come from SFMTA’s recently updated parking census. The census is a manual count taken to refine the agency’s 2010 estimate, which was based on a random 30 percent sample of city streets. Parking spaces are most heavily concentrated in dense city centers, with 35,000 parking spaces per square mile in areas such as downtown, the Civic Center, Russian Hill, and Nob Hill. At the bottom of the scale, most neighborhoods have around 10,000.

None of the counts included private parking spaces in residential garages, which are estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands.

“… With nearly 10,000 vehicles registered per square mile, San Francisco today has one of the densest car concentrations on the planet, more than any other city in the United States,” said writes Jason Henderson, professor of geography at SF State University. in an SF Bay Guardian column this month.

The vast majority of sidewalk space in San Francisco is devoted to 275,450 spaces for the storage of cars. Each of these occupies about 140 square feet of land, 17 to 20 feet long and about 7 feet wide, according to the census. Ninety percent of these spaces are unmeasured and are free to use at any time of the day.

“One source of the parking problem in San Francisco is that you have some of the most valuable land on the planet, and it’s free, and people are complaining that there isn’t enough of it,” he told Examiner Donald Shoup, professor at UCLA and modern parking policy guru. “I think San Francisco needs to find a smarter way to manage parking, other than making it free for everyone.”

Shoup called the Sunday parking meter reversal to appease church leaders “yet another step back, telling the Examiner that” I believe in separating the church from the parking lot.

Bruce Osterweil, a Richmond resident, owner of a car, pointed out tthe absurdity of the situation of free parking for SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin at a community meeting yesterday, after city officials explained their proposed transport funding voting measures.

“Why can I park my car on the street for free?” Said Osterweil, who previously sat on the Geary Bus Rapid Transit Citizen Advisory Committee for ten years. “My understanding is that real estate is quite expensive in San Francisco. But we have this policy that you can own one car – or more than one car – and take up a lot of space, and park on the street for free. looks like we should be paying for all that space.

Osterweil argued that put a more rational price on parking, through Extending parking meters and permit restrictions would reduce parking demand – thereby opening up parking spaces and reducing the flow of cars driving to park, while raising funds to improve transportation options.

This is the raison d’être of the SFMTA’s SFpark program, for which the parking census was carried out. SFpark is in a transition phase at the end of its two-year pilot period, and the agency is no longer using the underground sensors that were used to collect parking usage data. The SFMTA plans to present its pilot SFpark assessment next month.

SFMTA director Reiskin said nothing in response to Osterweil’s comments, but after the meeting he told Streetsblog that the agency essentially “institutionalizes” the principles of SFpark in the agency’s general parking management program. SFpark has moved from the finance division to the sustainable streets division, he said. And instead of using sensors, SFMTA now monitors parking lot occupancy using smart meters that track payments.

Still, the SFMTA isn’t quite ready to try to expand parking meters again, after the backlash from Potrero Hill, Dogpatch and the northeastern neighborhoods of Mission. “There have been things done under the SFpark banner that hit some walls, but the general concepts, I think, have been pretty well empirically validated,” Reiskin said.

But avoiding a car-crowded future for San Francisco will ultimately require recognizing that there is an upper limit on how many cars can safely and reasonably fit on a 7-mile by 7-mile peninsula. Studies show that when more parking spaces are built – and at low cost – then more residents tend to own and drive cars.

Yet as we wrote, the more space we dedicate to parking, the less space we will have to house people – and SF is set to build an additional 92,000 personal car storage locations by 2040 under current policies.

Meanwhile, attempts by the SFMTA to take even a piece of curbside parking for protected bike lanes or transit lightbulbs invariably cause traders and residents to fight tooth and nail. to preserve every last place. And SF political leaders rarely mobilize to defend such rational efforts to reallocate public space more effectively.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize that parking is the cause of congestion,” Osterweil said. “If you charge for it, people might not have five more cars.”

read more