Edinburg — The City Council on July 1 approved moving the downtown parking garage project from schematic design into the design-development phase, after project consultants told the council the current three-level, precast design fits the city’s $6,200,000 budget and yields 267 parking spaces.

The design-build team presented the schematic layout and schedule to the council. Joseph Gonzalez of Broadus Construction, the contractor on the design‑build team, said the proposal includes three levels, a three‑level elevator, two stairwells for egress, lighting and wayfinding signage on the rooftop level. “We still remain within the $6,200,000 budget that was set on the onset of the project,” Gonzalez said. The team estimated a construction schedule of about 12 to 13 months, with a target start in late September and substantial completion around the following November.

Council members asked questions about parking capacity, the cost difference if the garage were expanded to about 500 spaces, and why earlier plans that included retail on the first floor were removed. The design‑build team said adding retail increases foundation and MEP requirements and raised the earlier bid — which included commercial space — to about $15,600,000 when it was bid and came in over budget. The current schematic delivers about 10 more spaces than the earlier target (267 versus an earlier 257), the team said, by finding layout efficiencies.

Project manager Carlos Solanke of Brownstone Consultants said Brownstone joined the effort in November 2024 to help the city move to a design‑build delivery and to keep the project on budget. Solanke said the team solicited a precast supplier because precast has a long lead time; precaster bids were due July 15. The team expects to present a Guaranteed Maximum Price to the council in early September after design development is complete.

Council approved a motion to advance the schematic design to the design‑development phase and to authorize staff and the design‑build team to finalize documents that will support a GMP. The motion passed after a voice/hand‑raise vote; no roll‑call tally was read into the record.

Why it matters: Downtown business owners and visitors have raised parking concerns for years. Councilmembers said a 267‑space facility will not solve all parking demand but will reduce street parking pressure in the downtown core. The city previously issued bonds in 2021 to fund the project; council members and staff said earlier planning did not include a feasibility study that defined final scope before that bond issuance.

Next steps: If the council approves the GMP when presented, construction is planned to begin in late September. The city and the design‑build team said the design‑build delivery method and securing a GMP are intended to limit change orders and keep the cost within the approved budget.