Hagerstown City Council looking for $1.6 million to make five-story parking deck possible

As construction progresses on a $70 million baseball stadium along West Baltimore Street, Hagerstown officials are studying their plans for a parking deck near it and the need to get it done quickly.

Issues include building the deck on a "tight, challenging site" on Antietam Street and getting it open by 2024 when the Hagerstown Multi-Use Sports and Events Facility is expected to be ready.

The deck is to be built on an existing parking lot across from the former Herald-Mail Media property, which was acquired for the state to build the stadium.

Mayor Tekesha Martinez and the Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday were updated about bids to build the parking deck, which up until now has been envisioned as a five-story structure offering 397 parking spaces.

City Engineer Rodney Tissue said the city received five bids and the lowest, $11.6 million, was submitted by Callas Contractors Inc. That caused council members to start thinking about how they can pay for the deck since only about $10 million has been budgeted for it.

Tissue said the cost of the structure could be reduced by making it four stories instead of five. That move, which would save $1.6 million, would reduce the number of spaces to 315.

Tissue said there are other cost-saving options, like dropping the brick facade in favor of a concrete one which can be imprinted to imitate brick. But the options don't save as much eliminating one floor, he said.

Previously:Hagerstown cites need to 'get rolling' with stadium by planning $9 million parking deck

Councilman Bob Bruchey pushed for a five-story deck, saying it's important for the city to prepare for parking demand in coming years.

How much parking is needed in downtown Hagerstown?

Tissue said previously that a little more than 1,800 parking spaces exist within a half-mile of the stadium site. At least 1,200 of those spaces are available on weekday and weekend evenings, he said.

Using an 80% occupancy of the stadium as a measure to gauge the city's anticipated parking demands in the future, Tissue estimates that about 1,520 spaces will be needed to meet the stadium's needs along with other expected development downtown.

At the same time, Tissue said it's important to consider factors that may lessen future parking demand, such as ride-sharing services like Uber and self-driving vehicles. As a result, Tissue said he thinks 400 spaces will be good to have in the deck.

Two other parking decks, University District Parking Deck on South Potomac Street and the Arts and Entertainment District Parking Deck off East Washington Street offer 625 spaces total.

Let's play ball:Stadium project gains momentum: Deal clinched for final property acquisition

Council members and city staff on Tuesday discussed possible ways to make up the $1.6 million shortfall to build a five-story deck. Finding a private partner was mentioned.

Bruchey suggested going to the Washington County Board of Commissioners for help.

"They're going to benefit just as much as the city of Hagerstown benefits," said Bruchey, adding that the stadium and the tens of millions of dollars being invested elsewhere downtown is going to produce spin-off effects that helps the county, too.

"Let's ask. All we can do is ask," said Bruchey, saying the county so far has been spared of helping to pay for other projects downtown, like the stadium.

Council members and staff agreed to work on the funding details for about the next 30 days and hopefully start moving on the project after that.

How long will it take to build the parking deck?

Tissue emphasized the tight timeline the city is on to build the deck, saying it will take 365 days "from the time you say go."

He said the Antietam Street lot where the deck will be built is a "tight, challenging site." It sits among other buildings on the block, including Washington County District Court.

"Antietam Street is going to be closed for a year, I'll put that out right now," Tissue said.

Close to $70 million in state funds have been allocated for the stadium, which is expected to be open by the middle of next year and be the home of a new Atlantic League of Professional Baseball team. The stadium is also expected to be used for concerts and festivals.

The Maryland Stadium Authority is overseeing the project and Turner Construction is designing and building it.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown finalizing plans for parking deck ahead of stadium opening