The Newark City Council voted 5-2 to approval a proposal that could lead to a parking garage next to the Galleria building.
No sketches or renderings of a garage were available as the project is in its early stages, according to the city. The city is beginning to see its surface parking lots fill up at various times, due to the revitalization of Main Street.
The council approved a real estate agreement for the site at Lot #1, off Delaware Avenue and behind the retail and restaurant complex. No taxpayer money would be used for the project.
“Future development of the property will be decided by City Council at a later date as the agreement provides only for acquisition of the property. Development of a parking garage has been discussed,” a release from the city stated.
Twitter dispatches from the city indicated that some residents were unhappy with the deal in comments before the council. Councilmen Mark Moorhead and Rob Gifford. Both have also emerged as critics of the Data Centers project that has occupied much of the public meeting time of the council.
The agreement, signed earlier this month by the City Manager and Exponential Development Group, LLC (EDG), is the result of months of negotiations at direction from City Council. The city is seeking the acquisition of the portion of 51 E. Main Street, now leased to the city for existing parking. Special Counsel Mark Dunkle, Esq. of Parkowski, Guerke & Swayze P.A. served as lead negotiator for Newark.
The agreement provides for either a land swap or the direct purchase of 13,128 square feet of the lot owned by EDG, which includes the entrances into the parking lot from Delaware Avenue and Main Street as well as a portion of the exit.
The agreement provides for a cash payment of $1.2 million with additional parking permit allocations or, in lieu of cash, the swap of a 14,375 square foot portion of Municipal Parking Lot #6 (behind the Barnes and Noble building off Delaware Avenue), which is currently a metered parking lot. EDG may determine the option subject to a timetable set forth in the agreement.
“We are happy that we’ve been able to reach mutually acceptable terms to acquire the land needed to build a parking garage on Municipal Parking Lot #1,” said City Manager Carol Houck. The city has been working toward assembling enough land to build a structure designed to address the city’s downtown parking challenge for many years.
Pending City Council approval of the real estate agreement, the next steps will likely include considering presentation of options to Mayor and Council for the development of the garage as well as discussing the project with neighboring property owners.
