Parking study to focus on potential downtown hotel, new housing development

Once planned as the site of a parking garage, the lot bounded by Indiana, Walnut and Jackson streets became surface parking when bids came in higher than expected. However, city officials are again pondering downtown parking solutions should two proposed projects come to fruition.

Banner Graphic file photo

Potential development of a 63-room downtown Greencastle hotel and a 50- to 100-unit housing development near DePauw University has spawned the need for a downtown, hotel, mixed-use parking demand study.

“We’ve been approached about a development downtown that’s going to require additional parking,” Mayor Bill Dory said, alluding to the hotel project without being specific at the recent meeting of the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission (RDC).

On a motion by Brian Cox, the RDC subsequently agreed to a $34,808 study to be undertaken by LVR International, a Carmel firm, that will collect parking data, analyze land use, identify parking users and determine parking demand.

LVR representatives will then meet with stakeholders, identify parking placement plans and determine budget costs for three different parking projects:

-- A new 63-room hotel on the old Old National Bank site at Washington and Indiana streets.

-- A 50- to 100-unit housing development to be built on what is being called “the DePauw site.”

-- Existing and future downtown business operations.

Mayor Dory said LVR will “look at what we’ve got” and tackle basic questions like “Do we have enough parking for what we’ve got now? And what if these other projects came to fruition?”

LVR has pledged to provide a parking plan that will answer such questions as:

-- How many parking spaces are required for the new hotel development and can a parking garage fit within the site?

-- Is there enough parking downtown to support existing and future business operations for customers and employees?

-- How many parking spaces would be required and also accommodate other parking users within the housing development area such as Ashley Square Cinemas and the Inn at DePauw?

LVR will also explore parking garage feasibility placement and a concept design layout to “best accommodate a consolidated/shared parking approach” for the three projects.

“That is something we think we need,” City Councilor Stacie Langdon, in attendance at the meeting, said of the parking garage idea.

Mayor Dory noted that the State of Indiana has $500 million available for future projects in the next five years. Doing the parking study should “potentially help in the future” as well.

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.

No timetable was announced for the LVR parking study.

In other business, the RDC:

-- Agreed to a July 1 restart of construction at the Wellness Center/YMCA site where wet soils have hampered the progress of site work. The July 1 date will give the ground the maximum time to dry, a spokesman for Tonn and Blank Construction told the RDC, and “would be best for the subcontractors.” RDC member Gary Lemon suggested that “we’ve waited so long to do this, let’s do it right” since the experts are telling city officials it’s best to wait until July 1. A changeorder is being rewritten with the July 1 date and will include language that “makes every effort to move forward as soon at conditions are possible.”

-- Agreed to an easement with Duke Energy for the Wellness Center site at no cost to the city.

-- Approved an agreement with Centerpoint Energy for $46,856 for 5-1/2-year minimum use contract for gas service.

-- Heard Mayor Dory report that the Wellness Center lease with Putnam County Hospital is down to a “few small details” and should be ironed out soon.

-- Heard Dory report that the Vine Street parking lot is due to be resurfaced and he will bring estimates to the RDC for its funding consideration once received.

-- Heard the mayor also ask if the RDC would be interested in helping fund a proposed security lighting project at Big Walnut Sports Park. After members indicated their interest, Dory said he will put together a package for the next meeting.

Joining Lemon and Cox for the meeting were fellow RDC members Gwen Morris and Erika Gilmore along with City Attorney Laurie Hardwick.

The Redevelopment Commission will next meet in public session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24 at City Hall.