Soil information gathered for parking garage
Plans for Butler’s proposed new parking garage took another step forward Friday as soil samples on the project site were collected as part of the engineering process.
Mayor Tom Donaldson said the examination of the soil will be used to determine the foundation specifications for the structure.
Gateway Engineering is handling the engineering for the garage. Test Boring Services, a subcontracted firm from Washington, Pa., collected the soil information Friday.
While it marks an early stage of the project, Donaldson said it is an important step in the right direction.
Donaldson hopes construction on the garage could begin by late April or May.
“That’s my hope,” he said. “But we still have to put the project out to bid.”
Plans for the garage are unfinished, although the structure is beginning to take shape in design.
Donaldson said there will be entrances and exits to South McKean and South Cedar Streets. The mayor said early plans for the garage have the first floor of the three-tiered structure being hourly parking through a kiosk system, while the upper tiers would be gated permit parking.
“There’s also potential that we could get more spaces than we originally thought,” Donaldson said.
The garage is slated to have 225 spaces, although 50 of those will be reserved for the proposed Marriott Springhill Suites hotel set to be built next door.
Donaldson said the city could advertise the project for bid later this month.
Jim Chiprean, chairman of the city parking authority, said he was thrilled to see progress being made on the garage.
“I think the whole board is excited,” he said. “It’s good the project is moving along.”
Council expects the garage to cost more than $4 million, based on the industry standard of $19,600 per space figure.
Council authorized itself to spend up to $7 million on the garage through a PNC Bank bond issue.
Donaldson said he also hopes the city can place a roof on the top deck of the garage to lower maintenance costs, if funding allows it.
The garage and hotel are part of the Centre City project, which also includes the new Rite Aid Pharmacy on Main Street. That building opened in December.
