Committee backs short‑term parking changes as alternative to $1.8M median reconfiguration

David Gomez, the city’s director of capital improvements, told the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee that a feasibility study shows reconfiguring the median on 19th Street between Meridian Avenue and Convention Center Drive could add “an additional approximately 34 spaces” but that the project’s estimated total cost is about $1.8 million.

The committee repeatedly questioned the value of spending that amount on on‑street spaces. Commissioners and staff discussed existing capacity in nearby garages — including the convention center and city hall garages — and operational alternatives such as time‑limited on‑street spaces, valet or courtesy golf‑cart shuttles for visitors with mobility needs, and better coordination with the Convention Center and nearby hotels. Staff said the Convention Center garage and city hall garage are heavily used during conventions and that validation and event coordination affect availability.

Gomez said the proposed reconfiguration must balance parking needs against other street uses, including delivery and staging for the Convention Center and access for large vehicles to the botanical garden. He told the committee the design constraints and turning radii limit how much lane width can be narrowed to create curbside spaces.

Rather than advancing the full design now, the committee voted to return the item to the full commission with a favorable recommendation to direct administration to convert the on‑street parking near the Holocaust Memorial to 3‑hour maximums and to engage with the Holocaust Memorial on joint solutions. The committee recorded the motion and passage by voice vote; a roll‑call tally was not specified in committee minutes.

What’s next: Staff will bring the proposal and cost options to the full commission for final direction and, if approved, will consider funding timing in the city’s budget cycle.