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Committee seeks role on schematic design for garage renovation; schematic presentation possible at next APC meeting
Summary
The committee discussed timing and scope of the city's garage renovation project. Staff said schematic designs are next and pricing will likely require contractor input; the commission will make final funding choices but APC expects to provide operational feedback.
Birmingham City — Committee members discussed the city's ongoing garage renovation planning and how the Advisory Parking Committee (APC) will provide operational input as the project moves into schematic design.
Staff said the contractor team (BCT) is continuing schematic design work and that the commission will receive in-person briefings as part of the project schedule; staff suggested BCT could remote in to the APC in April to gather early operational feedback. Aaron (staff member) said pricing was not in the current design scope and that, after schematic design, the city would likely ask the contractor (or the existing contractor on Chester) to obtain cost estimates.
Why it matters: committee members said the APC should comment on operational choices that affect daily use (entrance demarcation, canopies, access and signage) while recognizing the city commission will decide tradeoffs that affect the budget and aesthetics.
Details and committee expectations
- Schematic timing and presentations: Staff said schematic design is the next design phase; because the commission is the decision-making body, BCT planned in-person presentations to the commission but could present the schematic design to the APC by remote session to collect operational feedback beforehand.
- Pricing and scope: Members were told pricing is likely to come after schematic design; staff said pricing was not part of BCT's immediate scope and that the city may ask the current contractor to provide cost estimates for features the commission selects.
- Chester focus and lifecycle: Project discussion will focus on Chester in part because work is already under way there. Engineering assessment (WJE) reported the garages are structurally sound with decades of life remaining; no garage was identified as at immediate end-of-life.
Context and next steps
Members asked to be briefed once schematic designs are available and said the APC will aim to provide operational perspective on the designs prior to the commission's final decisions. Staff said the APC's role is advisory and that the committee's input would be most useful on items that affect operations or carry recurring costs.
Ending: Staff will coordinate a schematic presentation to the APC (remote if necessary) once BCT has progressed schematic drawings to a stage the committee can review.
