RDA advisory board backs consultant plan for downtown Parking Gallery, urges CIP and operator procurement

A staff presentation and consultant report on the operational condition of the downtown Parking Gallery concluded the facility has capacity but is hampered by split responsibilities, aging equipment and inconsistent customer experience.

The report, presented by revitalization staff, said the garage — constructed in 1993 at an estimated $12.5 million and with roughly 592 stalls — serves weekday office demand but is underused on evenings and weekends. It identified fragmented management (city/RDA/property manager/operator roles), reactive maintenance, limited data from the current parking access and revenue control system, and tenant and wayfinding concerns as the principal issues restricting performance.

Consultant Dixon recommended the Redevelopment Agency consolidate parking operations under a dedicated parking operator reporting to the RDA, implement new parking technology and digital validation, adopt performance standards and cleaning schedules, and develop a multi‑year capital improvement plan. Specific operational recommendations included allocation of up to 375 monthly permits (an increase from about 220 currently issued), a trigger to re‑run utilization analysis at 85 percent utilization, and phased adjustments to monthly permit fees (staff-level discussion cited a step increase to about $75 from current lower rates, with potential future tiers up to $100 for 24/7 access).

During questioning, board members emphasized that any rate adjustments should be informed by a structural and CIP analysis rather than set solely by peer comparisons. Staff said the last debt payments on the asset should finish in the coming fiscal quarter and that large capital projects or long‑term contracts would return for formal procurement and budget approval. The presentation also noted an operating budget near $900,000 a year and a modest reserve (reported in the presentation as a little over $300,000) for emergency repairs.

After discussion, the advisory board voted to recommend that the Redevelopment Agency accept the consultant report, identify capital improvement needs and proceed with an RFP to procure a parking operator and related services. Board members asked staff to ensure that procurement and any proposed rate changes be timed alongside improvements and operator selection, and that a useable structural/CIP cost estimate inform long‑term pricing and reserve targets.

Next steps: staff will draft RFP language and return proposed procurement timelines and a CIP scope to the RDA for decision, and the RDA will consider the board’s recommendation in a future meeting.