Upland council favors five‑story, packing‑house design for downtown parking structure and directs staff to finalize plans

Upland’s City Council on Thursday reviewed final schematic options for a proposed downtown parking structure and gave staff direction to move the project into final design, favoring a five‑story, mixed‑use structure with a packing‑house façade and ground‑floor retail.

The council heard from WATRI Design and Development Services Director Robert Dahlquist at the special workshop. WATRI principal Michael Pendergrass presented two layouts: an all‑parking facility and a mixed‑use option that includes about 10,000 square feet of commercial space along 1st Avenue. Pendergrass said a four‑level garage would provide roughly 300 parking spaces while a five‑level option would provide about 400 — a difference of about 100 spaces. “The 4‑level structure we’re just under $20,000,000,” he said, “and the 5‑level is a little bit more at $22,000,000,” noting cost per stall falls from about $62,000 to $54,000 with the additional level.

Why it matters: Council members framed the…