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Downtown Market Street project reduces on‑street parking; merchants ask for faster completion
Summary
A downtown business owner reported resident and merchant complaints about reduced parking and slow progress on the Market Street redevelopment. City staff described added off‑street parking and said wider sidewalks and ADA requirements drove on‑street parking reductions.
Merchants and residents raised concerns at the Sept. 9 City Council meeting about reduced on‑street parking and perceived slow progress on the Market Street redevelopment.
Charles Lines, who identified himself as a downtown property owner with seven rentals on Market Street, told the council he collected about 20 signatures on a petition urging more parking and said many locals want the project completed in a shorter timeframe. "One of the main complaints is they feel like the plan does not have enough parking," Lines said during the public comment period.
City staff responded with a status update on the project’s design and parking counts. Officials said initial plans had reduced much of the original on‑street parking; after stakeholder requests the design added back as much parking as engineering and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements allowed. The city reported that Market Street will have 26 on‑street parking spaces after reconfiguration (down from a previous 32 in earlier project drafts), that five spaces will be added on Cullum and three on Freddie Fagan Way, and that 62 spaces have been added at the North Hicks Street parking lot.
Staff said sidewalk widening and building entrance adjustments required by ADA standards were the primary reason for losing some on‑street spaces and that, because of project scope limits, further increases in on‑street parking are not feasible without changing the project. A city official also described utilities work and recent weather delays; staff said sidewalks will resume after conduit and block walls are finished and estimated sidewalk work could resume within three to six weeks, subject to weather.
Lines asked about a completion date; a city speaker referenced July 26, 2026 as the projected full completion date for the Market Street phase. Council members and staff acknowledged merchants’ frustrations and said they are working to minimize disruption and to provide alternative parking and signage during construction.
