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City outlines $32.8M remaining in parking-deck repairs and looks at adding floors to Peabody Garage
Summary
Parking staff presented an estimated $32.82 million remaining to repair and refresh five downtown garages and said Peabody was built to allow vertical expansion; staff proposed a conceptual-design engagement to study adding up to three floors (~50 spaces per floor) and urged strategic, tied rate increases after completed upgrades.
Parking officials told commissioners that the five municipal garages will require structural repairs and aesthetic upgrades estimated at roughly $32.82 million to finish the systemwide program.
Staff highlighted recently completed work at Chester Garage and said remaining repairs will include structural waterproofing and the installation of LED lighting, signage and wayfinding. The Peabody Garage is the next scheduled deck for inclusive upgrades; staff also reported the original Peabody design accommodated future vertical expansion. An initial, conceptual-architect engagement to study adding two to three floors — roughly 50 incremental spaces per floor — was estimated at $75,000 to $150,000. Parking staff said a three-floor expansion could add roughly 150 spaces without fully closing a deck, which made Peabody the preferred candidate for expansion rather than full reconstruction of other downtown garages.
Commissioners and members of the public pressed for clarity on (a) how parking-proceeds reserve balances are managed, (b) whether rate increases should be phased and tied to visible improvements, and (c) whether a special-assessment district or other financing mechanism would be used for larger expansion. Staff said the parking fund had a fund balance of about $42 million (as of June 30, 2025) and emphasized targeted rate increases keyed to visible completed improvements as one communications strategy to reduce public pushback.
No formal decisions were taken; staff said the Peabody conceptual study would be a next step if the commission supports moving ahead to examine costs and staging.
