Gastonia wants to build a parking deck near CaroMont Health Park
Gastonia plans to build a 250-space parking deck near CaroMont Health Park within the next two years.
The city has identified 1.91 acres of city property near the corner of West Franklin Boulevard and South Clay Street where the deck could be placed.
“Our staff has put in a lot of effort toward this project,” said Assistant City Manager Quentin McPhatter, who will lead the parking deck project. “It has been challenging but we’re very excited.”
Project needs money
City officials say the parking deck will cost $14.5 million. Money concerns has put the project on hold.
The city will pay $2,906,500 for the project and the U.S. Department of Commerce would pay $11,626,000, under the city's plans,
McPhatter requested 80 percent of the project's total cost to be funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce and expects to hear the department's decision in September 2022.
The city would fund the remaining 20 percent cost for the project.
The multi-level parking deck would include 250 parking spaces with a 7,500 square-foot retail rental space on the ground floor, McPhatter says.
He hopes to have a local small business utilizing the retail rental space.
The number of levels that the deck will have has yet to be determined.
"Our hope is that our grant request for funding will enable us to bring in more revenue through nearby projects like the Coca-Cola building and the stadium," said McPhatter.
The parking deck will also offer more parking for events at CaroMont Health Park, including Gastonia Honey Hunters games. In the team's inaugural season, some fans experienced towing issues for illegal parking on private property.
Gastonia city leaders identified more than 2,000 parking spaces within a two-mile radius of the complex and encouraged visitors about using the resources in the area.
“We want what's best for our residents," said McPhatter." We value any opportunity to help improve services for our citizens."
The city spent more than $28 million building CaroMont Health Park, which opened this year.
The city should receive at least a $75 million return in the overall use, profits and private investments of the CaroMont Health Park, according to the UNC School of Government Development Finance Initiative.
The UNC School of Government DFI has worked with many cities within North Carolina on similar projects involving multipurpose stadiums and has extensive experiences in helping cities obtain private investment.
McPhatter expects the city to receive $34 million in return from the overall use, profits and private investments of the parking deck.
If all goes well and the city obtains funding from the federal government, a parking deck could be finished by the end of 2023, McPhatter said.
Reach Janiya Winchester at 704-869-1842 or jwinchester@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia wants to build a parking deck near CaroMont Health Park
