Based on current and projected needs, available parking in downtown Greencastle is not presently sufficient, a recent study finds. Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE
A new City of Greencastle parking study suggests a need for more than 500 additional spaces within a seven-block square in the heart of the city.
The $35,000 study, commissioned by the city to coincide with the housing study being undertaken by DePauw University in hopes for a $25 million Lilly Endowment grant, was authorized last May. The Redevelopment Commission (RDC) agreed for it to be undertaken by the Carmel firm LVR International to collect parking data, analyze land use, identify parking users and determine parking demand.
LVR representatives met with stakeholders, identifying parking placement plans and determining budget costs for three specific parking projects:
-- A 50- to 150-unit housing development to be built south of downtown on what is being called “the DePauw site.”
-- A new 64-room hotel on the old Old National Bank site at Washington and Indiana streets.
-- Existing and future downtown business operations.
The LVR study noted that Greencastle “has experienced substantial growth in recent years, leading to increased demands on its parking infrastructure.”
In response, LVR initiated a parking demand analysis and parking garage study within the geographic boundaries of Liberty Street on the north, Madison Street to the west, Locust Street to the east and Hill Street on the south.
Findings of the study note that there are currently 1,357 parking spaces in the downtown area, consisting of 468 city-owned spots and 889 privately owned spaces for public use. The study notes that “if every businesses required their own parking spaces to accommodate their peak parking period, the city would require a total of 2,460 parking spaces.”
However, not every business peaks at the same time of the day or week.
Thus, in response to those identified parking needs, LVR is recommending adding 517 spaces, split between the north and south regions of the downtown area.
It was pointed out at a recent meeting of the RDC that additional refinement of the study is expected. Officials noted that it pretty much doesn’t surprise anybody that Greencastle needs some additional parking downtown.
The study also points out that “due to the downtown terrain and parking demand density area, parking can be within two to 2.5 blocks of the main or highest-volume destinations. Therefore, while 1,357 spaces could, in theory, accommodate the parking demand for Greencastle, the spaces are not appropriately located.”
Restaurants require the most parking by land use, the survey shows, with 19 area restaurants covering 20 percent of the land use and requiring 1,137 parking spots.
Next are 18 offices, requiring 383 spaces, followed by 13 stores at 192 spaces, five government uses with 278 spots and three banks needing 74 spaces. Also, 32 apartments in the downtown area pose a need for 32 parking spots.
And to address “increased demand and overcome parking challenges,” LVR is proposing construction of two parking garages. One would be in the northern section of downtown, at the northeast corner of North Indiana and East Franklin streets, with 181 to 341 spaces recommended. The second option is in the southern district of the downtown, at the northeast corner of South Indiana and East Seminary streets, recommended to accommodate 176 to 295 parking spots.
At the recent RDC meeting, Chairman Erika Gilmore pointed out that the last time a parking garage was proposed, the city ended up with a surface lot at Walnut, Indiana and Jackson streets after costs became prohibitive.
“I assume this is going to cost more,” Gilmore prophesied.
The city had hoped to build a parking garage downtown with funding secured in the Stellar Grant program in 2011. However, an effort to do so at the site of the surface lot at Walnut and Jackson streets was abandoned after bids twice came in well above engineer’s estimates on the project.
In August 2013, the city formally scuttled the parking garage idea for a proposed 146-space parking structure at Jackson, Walnut and Indiana streets after rebidding failed to produce proposals anywhere near engineers’ estimates of $3,393,529. On a second bidding go-around, a low bid of $4,185,000 by Wilhelm Construction, Indianapolis, was still more than three-quarters of a million dollars above the estimated construction costs.
In summation, LVR notes that the proposed plan to address parking demand and the two proposed garages “represents a comprehensive strategy to address current challenges and prepare for future growth.”
By implementing such recommendations, the study notes “the city can establish a more efficient, flexible, accessible and sustainable parking infrastructure in line with its vision for continued development.”
The study also suggests that “success of these recommendations hinges on a collaborative effort between local authorities, businesses and the community.”
No official action on the parking study has been undertaken by any city governmental body.
© 2024 Greencastle Banner-Graphic