Construction in the parking garage forces drivers to find other parking options
People this week might want to brush up on their parallel parking skills due to closure of the municipal parking garage.
A majority of the city’s Washington Street parking garage has been closed since Friday, according to an Athens City news release.
That has created a challenge for the city, as well as for drivers trying to find places to park, Ron Lucas, Athens deputy safety-service director, said.
The garage's basement opened on Monday, and the first, second and third floors are expected to open on Oct. 27. The entirety of the garage, including the fourth through sixth floor, won’t be open until Oct. 30, according to the news release.
The city has taken action to deal with the situation, Wiehl said. The meters across from College Street have yellow bags tied around them, reserving them for people who utilize the parking garage, Wiehl said.
Lucas said it is a possibility that the garage will reopen sooner.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl explained the construction was to blame for the closing.
The parking garage had not received major renovations for 15 years, Wiehl said.
Repairs include fixing the elevators and concrete, costing the city about $2 million, Wiehl said.
There are 254 spots in the garage that city and county employees, as well as other commuters, use. Additionally, there are 77 spaces people pay to reserve, Lucas said.
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Wiehl said the situation is inconvenient.
“A lot of people are unhappy with it,” he said.
Lucas said it has been an “absolute challenge” for the city.
“It’s not an ideal situation for the city,” he said. “We’ve had a number of complaints.”
Gene Armes, part owner of the College Bookstore and spokesman for the Athens Uptown Business Association, said it doesn’t affect him.
“So far the effect has been negligible, as far as I can tell,” he said. “I know the city made arrangements to take care of people who park in there monthly and gave them a place to park. It really doesn’t make a difference for our business.”
He said no one from Athens Uptown Business Association came to him with any complaints.
"It's just necessary maintenance and we kind of understand that," he said. "We're just accepting it at this point."
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