Georgetown asks for feedback on downtown parking garage
The City of Georgetown is asking the public for feedback on various options for a downtown parking garage, including location, levels, costs, and more.
“As businesses continue to open and grow in downtown, space for parking diminishes, and we risk losing visitors and patrons to our beautiful, vibrant downtown,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “We want to hear from as many voices as possible before the council makes a decision. If you live, work, or visit downtown, you are a stakeholder in this project, and we hope you’ll share your experiences and preferences with us.”
The City has been working to evaluate and address parking concerns for the downtown area for several years. Research and recommendations for parking solutions have been informed by numerous City Council discussions and presentations, a Downtown Parking Study from 2015, land-use codes, public engagement about the design, a stakeholder steering committee, our consulting firm, Wantman Group Inc. (WGI), and others.
Potential parking garage locations also were informed by the 2014 Downtown Master Plan update. The plan identified four potential parking garage locations, including the Tamiro Plaza and Ninth and Main streets site, both of which are being considered now (page 8 in Chapter 5 of the 2014 plan identifies the original, potential sites).
In 2021, WGI evaluated potential parking garage sites on a series of criteria, including:
- Overall cost
- Number of new parking spaces added
- Location (relative to the Square)
- Concept should support residential, retail, or both
- Traffic access and impact
On Nov. 9, 2021, City Council identified three potential locations for the parking garage:
- Tamiro Plaza, on the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Austin Avenue
- Ninth and Main streets, the entire square block
- Sixth and Main streets, on the southwest corner
People can share their feedback through a digital survey, available Nov. 27 through Dec. 31, 2021. Through December, yard signs with a QR code to the survey will be posted around the Square, and postcards, with the survey QR code and three short questions, also will be available at the Visitors Center, 103 W. Seventh St. People who came to the Square for Shop Small Saturday also had an opportunity to learn more and share input with City staff.
The survey provides additional details about the proposed locations, including the number of parking spots gained and costs, and asks the public to share their feedback about the potential sites, how many levels they would like to see in a garage, costs, and other options being considered. After the survey closes, City staff will compile the results and share them with the council to help inform their decisions for the project. Council is expected to discuss the parking garage project in early 2022.
For more information about the downtown parking garage project, visit the project website.
