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Downtown losing 305 parking spots, so city looks to private sector to build garage

Businesses have until Aug. 30 to express interest in the project
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Late last week, the city issued what's called a request for expression of interest in building a parking structure. The tender will gauge how much interest there is in building an operating a parking facility downtown. The deadline is Aug. 30. (Stock photo)

With the big projects removing hundreds of downtown parking spaces, Greater Sudbury is looking to see if someone in the private sector is interesting in picking up the slack.

Late last week, the city issued what's called a request for expression of interest in building a parking structure. The tender will gauge how much interest there is in building an operating a parking facility downtown. The deadline is Aug. 30.

The tender was issued after a motion from Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier, who was responding to a staff report that said a parking facility estimated at $8 million-$12 million would be needed to replace lost spots, and to accommodate demand for new ones.
 
The report said the current construction of the Place des Arts removed one city parking lot with 59 spaces, and more spaces will go when the Elgin Street Greenway is completed, as well as The Junction.

The Junction includes a new convention centre, art gallery and library, which will require parking while taking out two more downtown parking lots with a total of 246 spots. That's 305 spots being removed in total — an 18.6-per-cent reduction that leaves a total of 1,332 spots downtown.

New demand includes 30 spots for the Place Des Arts and an additional 75 “no charge” parking spots for the art gallery and library. The convention centre will need 20 permit parking spots and 180 pay parking spots; the hotel to serve convention centre guests will need 10 permit parking vehicles and 90 pay parking vehicles. In all, 500 new parking spaces would be needed.

The city is willing to build the structure as part of a public/private partnership, according to the tender, and it must be located in a central area downtown to service the big projects.

Companies are being asked to show their experience with similar projects, how they plan to fund it, and what sort of expectations they would have from the city – such as a special lease agreement or funding – and how many parking spaces would be created.

Read the full tender here.


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