Where will all the new workers park?
McKinley CEO Albert Berriz envisions a downtown Ann Arbor where young professionals wake up in their condo or apartment and walk across the street to work.
Developer Ed Shaffran sees a future downtown filled with restaurants, and little else, because the only ample parking left will be at night in parking structures.
Mayor John Hieftje sees a downtown with a streetcar line and light rail serving the downtown to ease traffic congestion and the squeeze on parking.
As downtown evolves with a flurry of development and visions, one question stands out: Does the city have enough parking to support it?
The city has about 5,700 public on-street and off-street parking spots. A recent study found that 84 percent of the off-street parking spaces and 68 percent of the on-street parking spaces are filled during weekdays. On-street parking rose to 98 percent full during weeknights, while off-street parking dropped to 35 percent. There are about 800 residential units being proposed in nine projects for the downtown area right now.
At stake is the type of downtown that emerges over the next several years. Parking will play a major role in that.
The Downtown Development Authority has hired consulting firm Nelson/Nygaard to study parking in the downtown. The report is expected in mid-January. City officials say that report will play a big part in how they address downtown parking.
Google recently announced it will move its future offices for its AdWords employees to the McKinley Towne Centre as part of a deal in which the city gave the search engine giant 200 free parking spaces. Eventually, Google is expected to bring 1,000 employees to the site of its permanent office, which will be determined after its four-year lease with McKinley Towne Centre is complete.
Just in that one block of downtown, the Citi Centre Lofts (formerly Washington Terrace) and Metro 202 will bring 134 housing units in the form of condominiums and apartments.
Berriz, whose company is building Metro 202 and owns the McKinley Towne Centre, foresees Google employees working at one of his buildings and living in the other across the street.
He says that will alleviate the demand for parking.
Berriz said private developers will also play a part in supplying parking.
He pointed to Citi Centre Lofts, which will offer 107 underground parking spots.
But Shaffran said that while the city is bending over backward to please Google, the smaller businesses that will lose parking spots may eventually leave.
He said those smaller businesses, which employ anywhere from six to 10 employees, are the "backbone of the downtown.''
"They have cars and they drive in,'' Shaffran said. "They are going to be pushed out because Google has a higher priority.''
Shaffran said the only businesses that will thrive are restaurants because the parking structures will open up in the evening hours after the work day is done and dinnertime begins.
He estimated the downtown is going to need "a couple thousand'' more spaces.
Currently, the DDA is adding 140 spaces to the Fourth and William parking structure. A developer is going to add 205 spaces, of which 148 will be public, on the development on First and Washington.
City Council Member Chris Easthope estimates a parking structure with 500 above-ground parking spots would cost $10 million. He said an underground parking lot with 400 spots, such as has been discussed for the city-owned surface lot near the downtown library, would cost $16 million.
"Where is the money going to come from?'' Easthope asked. "The DDA doesn't have the money to build giant parking structures right now.''
Easthope said if parking structures are needed, he wants them built on the edge of town where frequent shuttles can bring workers into the city.
Hieftje wants the city to consider streetcars and light rail that would transport people around town and get commuters in and out of the downtown.
DDA Member Jennifer Hall wants the city to make motorists think more before deciding to park downtown.
Hall said there is about the same cost for her to drive downtown from her home as it is to take the bus.
"Why would somebody take the bus when you can park for the same amount of money?'' she asked. "I don't think the answer to the problem is, 'Build more parking.' I would like to see more efforts to encourage people to use alternative transportation than we have right now.''
Tom Gantert can be reached at tgantert@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6701.