Somewhere to Park

just how big should the new downtown ramp be?

Tom Giffey |

IT’S WORTH A WHOLE LOTTA LOTS. The view of a proposed downtown parking ramp while looking toward the northeast, from the RCU and JAMF offices.
IT’S WORTH A WHOLE LOTTA LOTS. The view of a proposed downtown parking ramp while looking toward the northeast, from the RCU and JAMF offices.

In one sense, the impending parking crunch in downtown Eau Claire is a good problem to have: The presence of two major employers and the continued influx of residents and businesses mean our downtown is growing healthier – as is the community around it. On the other hand, circling the block looking for an open spot isn’t any fun, especially in our car-dependent culture, and lack of parking (real or perceived) can keep residents and customers away.

“I like the idea of changing the culture of ‘one person and one car.’ ” – Eau Claire City Council President Kerry Kincaid, on building a parking ramp with three stories instead of four

The City of Eau Claire is working on several solutions to the parking challenges downtown: In the short term, consultants are tabulating the parking numbers; in the mid-term, a new parking ramp will be built near Phoenix Park; and in the long term, city officials hope transit enhancements and other incentives can trim the number of people who drive alone to work.

The goal of building a new parking structure along North Barstow Street is presenting city leaders with the challenge of hitting the sweet spot between building a ramp that’s too small from the outset and one that’s oversized and underused.

Why is the city building a ramp in the first place? For several reasons. First, the city is bound by contract to provide 120 parking spaces to RCU and 210 to JAMF. Meanwhile, 110 spots are needed to replace surface parking when the now-open JAMF office was built. That comes to a total of 440 spaces. Anticipated development in what’s known as Block 7 – the parking lot across from the The Livery on Wisconsin Street – will also increase the demand for parking.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

Last summer, the city hired engineering firm Carl Walker Inc. to conduct a comprehensive downtown parking study. On Sept. 22, the City Council heard part of the report, which focused on the roughly seven-block area bordered on the north by Madison Street, on the east by Farwell Street, and on the west and south by Phoenix Park and the rivers. In case you were wondering, that zone offers 889 parking spaces –705 off-street, 184 on-street.

On a typical weekday, off-street parking in the neighborhood is 72 percent full. When a count was made during a Thursday-afternoon farmers market on June 19, off-street parking was 63 percent full. Meanwhile, off-street parking was 93 percent occupied during the Sounds Like Summer concert on Thursday, June 26. The following Saturday – during the farmers market and the RCU Classic – off-street parking was 74 percent full. As for on-street parking, the study found that Riverfront Terrace – that’s the street that winds along the edge of Phoenix Park, next to RCU and JAMF – is well-used during the workday, but other streets only get low-to-moderate usage. However, on-street parking is heavily used during special events, the report noted.

Based upon the size of the RCU and JAMF offices as well as local and national commuting statistics, the consultant estimated that RCU and JAMF alone will need between 402 and 410 parking spaces. When the needs of the so-called “liner buildings” – which will be built on North Barstow where the post office now stands – are added, an estimated 591 to 601 parking spots are needed. Essentially, this puts the city on the proverbial bubble between needing a ramp with three levels (550-575 spaces) and one with four (750-775 spaces).

According to the report, a three-level ramp would be viable if the city and major employers work to reduce parking demand through expanded mass transit service, angled parking on some streets, and by offering incentives for workers who carpool and amenities for those who bike.

CULTURE SHIFT

City Council President Kerry Kincaid says she favors building a three-level ramp. “I like the idea of changing the culture of ‘one person and one car,’ ” she said. “I think that makes economic sense for individuals, families, for businesses, certainly for environmental impacts.” A three-story ramp would also fit better with the scale of the neighboring buildings, she added. There’s also the question of cost: A three-story ramp is estimated to cost $9.6 million, versus $12.2 million for four stories. (Funds would come from new tax revenue generated within the special Tax Increment Financing district.)

Kincaid acknowledges there are arguments in favor of a four-level ramp as well. For example, it would be certain to meet all the neighborhood’s parking needs, and it could provide parking for users of whatever development occurs in Block 7. And, as city engineer Dave Solberg explains, building a fourth level at the beginning would be cheaper and less disruptive than adding one at a later date.

Such concerns led the council to vote 10-1 to ask engineering firm BWBR, which is designing the ramp, to come back with plans for a four-story structure. Councilman Dave Strobel suggested the motion. “I have a big fear that we do something and we don’t do it right the first time,” he said, according to the Leader-Telegram. Whether it’s three or four stories, city officials hope to solicit bids for the ramp by late this year for construction and 2015.

OTHER COUNCIL ACTION: TRAILS AND BUILDINGS

On Sept. 23, the City Council also voted to build a trail to Phoenix Park, dubbed Phoenix Commons, between the new JAMF office and the soon-to-be-completed apartment building to its north. The $361,000 project will include paving blocks, lighting, and other landscaping elements that will help it blend in with the park.

The council also voted to pay $360,000 for the 1.3 acre Charlson’s property at the corner of Oxford and Madison streets along the Chippewa River. The building and design store, which is going out of business, will be demolished to enhance public use of the waterfront, including the possibility of a future trail.

Finally, on Sept. 24 the city’s Waterways and Parks Commission voted unanimously to approve designs for a mixed-use building that will be erected as part of the Confluence Project on South Barstow Street. The privately built structure, which will include student-oriented residences and commercial space, is intended to compliment the joint university-community performing arts facility that is slated to be built nearby.