Will there be motorcycle parking?

Star Tribune Tue, 27 May 2008 22:11:03 GMT
Stillwater will get a downtown parking ramp

The project came in over budget, but city leaders say the multimillion-dollar ramp is key to riverfront vision. It will cost more than expected, but it looks as if downtown Stillwater will get a much-discussed parking ramp. The City Council approved the plan last week, voting to authorize a bond sale to finance construction. But the price tag for the project is roughly $1 million more than what city leaders say they were expecting, and now they're looking to cut costs or dip into the city's reserves to finance it. All this comes as Stillwater faces another tough budget year and the City Council has been challenging department heads to operate more efficiently. City leaders have been exploring the downtown parking ramp idea for the past five years. The ramp would provide about 300 public spaces and would be on two acres just north of the Historic Lowell Inn, between 2nd and 3rd Streets. Estimated costs to build the ramp with all the planned upgrades and options totaled $6.5 million. City administrator Larry Hansen has said the project costs need to stay at $5.3 million as planned. Last week city staff presented a list of possible changes, noting that after the changes, the project would be $321,000 over budget.

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