Staff says Lift 1 permit complexity and novel substructure explain lengthy review; construction expected in 2026

Council pressed staff about why Lift 1 Lodge's building permit, submitted in March 2023, remains lengthy in review; staff said the site's complexity and novel structural conditions explain much of the delay.

"This is an incredibly complex site," Jim Palin said. He described an excavated substructure that becomes parking and employee locker rooms beneath a green roof that will be the public park surface and warned that attaching a substantial lift mechanism to that structure involves engineering and sequencing challenges "to my knowledge that's never been done." Palin said a draft sequencing agreement and construction management plan exist, but agreements must be refined and signed before final permits are issued.

Council also raised excavation logistics and environmental concerns; John highlighted an estimate of roughly 10,949 dump-truck loads of fill, underscoring the scale of earthmoving. Staff said Lift 1 Lodge will condominiumize parts of the substructure and that the park surface will be the city's long-term responsibility, with required soil standards and maintenance agreements to be clarified in the sequencing documents.

Staff asked for more time to provide a permit-review history and sequencing details; council requested a follow-up report with permit timelines and change-order history to understand the two-year review period.