The city parking authority will cover the initial expenses of the engineering for the city’s proposed parking garage.

The authority at its meeting Wednesday night voted to take on up to $165,000 worth of up-front fees for Gateway Engineering’s design work.

The city had originally planned to pay for the engineering work through the bond issue that will pay for the construction of the garage. However, that bond issue likely won’t be released until at least June, later than the city had anticipated.

As a result, the city requested that the authority pay Gateway’s bill. The authority will be reimbursed once the bond issue is released.

The engineering so far has cost about $50,000, while the firm said it would take another $110,000 to get to the bid process. Gateway presented its progress to city council Tuesday night.

Authority treasurer Jeff Smith said if the final bill comes in from Gateway after the bond is issued, the city would take it back.

“We may never even pay the final payment,” he said.

Plans for the garage have grown the structure from three to four tiers and from 225 to 239 spaces. The first floor will be open parking with meters or a kiosk, and will include seven handicap accessible spaces. Putting the handicap spaces on the lowest tier will remove the need of an elevator, reducing the cost.

However, authority Chairman Jim Chiprean said he may want to reconsider the elevator, which would cost about $600,000.

Chiprean also said a roof is possible for the garage, although that would add $300,000. The upper levels will be gated. Parkers will get a ticket on the way in and will pay as they leave.

The garage will have a cable railing, reducing the weight and cost of the structure. Two enclosed stairwells will be brick and modeled after the appearance of older buildings in the city.

Construction will take about a year. The garage is expected to join the completed Rite Aid pharmacy at 139 S. Main St. and a proposed Marriot Springhill Suites hotel on East Jefferson Street as part of the Centre City project.

The hotel will be built at the same time as the garage.

J.S. Capitol Construction will be the developer of the hotel. It also built the Rite Aid, which opened in December.

Council expects the garage to cost more than $4 million.

Council authorized spending up to $7 million on the garage through a PNC Bank bond.

Lighting to be replaced

The authority also voted to enter into an agreement with Clark Contractors to replace the lighting at three parking lots in the city.

The authority will pay about $45,000 to have the lights replaced in the lots on East Diamond, North, and North Main streets.

The project will replace the lighting fixtures and install new LED lights.

Representatives from Clark Contractors said the new lights will use half the energy of the existing bulbs and will last four-times as long.