The Butler Parking Authority will buy a 35-space parking lot near the city building.

The authority approved the deal Wednesday night for the lot which is across the alley from the city building parking lot.

It negotiated the sale with Kirby Campbell for $40,000, according to authority treasurer Jeff Smith.

The authority plans to pave it and possibly add lighting.

Smith estimated about a four-year payback on the investment.

While no final parking permit price has been determined, the authority anticipates it to be $30 a month. The current owner charges $20 per month.

Authority Chairman Jim Chiprean said the people who have a lease in the lot will be able to sign up with the city if they choose.

Smith said it was a good opportunity for the authority to expand its services.

“They’re not making more land,” he said. “The parking authority is being aggressive for the anticipated growth of the city.”

Ownership of the lot comes in addition to another lot that the authority will lease for the next year to compensate for the parking spaces that will be lost during construction of the Centre City project, which is expected to begin next month.

The authority will lease a 40-space lot on East Jefferson Street from the Covenant United Presbyterian Church. That lot is expect to be ready for use at the beginning of April.

Related to Centre City, the authority on Wednesday also hired an engineer for the proposed parking garage which is part of the project. Morris Knowles and Associates of Delmont won the bid for $66,750.

The firm will be responsible for surveys, structural and electrical designs, stormwater management and other aspects regarding the parking garage.

Smith said the firm has a past working relationship with J.S. Capitol Construction, the expect developer of the project. J.S. Capitol also is the developer of the rest of Center City that includes a Marriott Springhill Suites hotel and Rite Aid pharmacy.

The two other engineering bids came from Michigan-based companies and did not include the full range of services.

The authority also discussed preliminary plans to replace the lighting in its tier garage on Cunningham Street.

The authority hopes to replace the nearly 200 light bulbs there with LED lights, which will last for at least a decade.

The authority is considering a proposal received through the Keystone Purchasing Network, which helps municipalities complete projects quickly through job order contracting.

The proposal would come from the South Carolina based Gordian Group’s construction service called ezIQC, which uses a previously bid-out price book that lists the price of numerous construction tasks.

Prices for projects are determined by pulling the line items needed to complete the job from the book.

The Gordian Group uses local contractors for the work. The contractors also are selected by a competitive bid.

The authority is waiting to receive a price estimate from another local contractor to determine if it will put the project out for bid or use the Keystone Purchasing Network.