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Star Tribune Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:43:05 GMT
St. Paul parking ramp back in business

Friday, the city ordered the Lowertown Business Center Annex ramp closed. It opened Saturday after some repairs. A parking ramp in downtown St. Paul that was condemned by city officials Friday reopened for use Saturday afternoon, after workers made temporary repairs to the structure. Five construction workers spent Saturday morning and most of the frigid afternoon shoring up supports at the Lowertown Business Center Annex parking ramp at 255 E. 6th St., between Wacouta and Wall Streets. The most pressing problem with the ramp is that some of the metal decking has corroded, said Tom Riddering, building official for St. Paul. He spent part of Saturday afternoon inspecting the structure following the repairs. The workers, from an Oklahoma-based national construction firm called Aduddell Industries Inc., said they were hired by the ramp's Twin Cities-based owner, GMT Inc. Officials from GMT could not be reached for comment Saturday. Riddering gave the ramp's owner 30 days to make permanent repairs. He said the work done Saturday -- which largely involved installing wood reinforcement beams to support the structure's exit and entrance ramps -- should safely secure the structure temporarily.

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