Parking Garage Headed For New Street?
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A town-commissioned study has determined that a central portion of the municipal lot between Green and New streets in the village would be “very well suited” for a parking garage. Marked in red is the site the garage, with a footprint of around 44,000 square feet, would span.
By Andrew Wroblewski
awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
While the long-discussed Huntington village parking garage moves one step closer to reality, it appears its location has been chosen.
The Huntington Town Board has approved the second phase of a feasibility study to determine how it would pay for a 528-space, four-level parking garage between Green and New streets in the village.
Old Bethpage-based Level G Associates completed the first phase of the study earlier this year and issued a report May 12; that report is available to view here. Town spokesman A.J. Carter said both the Huntington Town Board and a sub-group of the Huntington Village Parking Committee, have reviewed the report.
Level G’s report calls for a structure with an around 44,000-square-foot footprint that would stand at 42 feet tall, similar in height to adjacent office buildings.
It would be built across a central portion of the municipal lot between New and Green streets. That site currently has 158 active parking spaces, so the garage would bring an additional 370 spaces to the village.
Level G’s report states that the site is “very well suited” for the garage because it is: the village’s most-used municipal lot; centrally-located; between a pair of one-way streets that would offer “excellent site access;” and big enough to accommodate the structure.
On Tuesday, the town board approved an up-to-$12,700 payment to Level G for the second phase of the study, which will explore ways to fund construction of the proposed parking garage. The $12,700 payment is made up of a $5,000 donation from the Huntington Economic Development Corporation, and $7,700 from town funds.
“Phase Two of the study will fully develop and finalize models, estimates and projections to send to institutions to finance the project,” Carter said.
The town has backed away from a previous proposal to form a public-private partnership to fund the garage, and instead hopes the structure will effectively pay for itself.
The report states, “Because parking deck construction requires a significant capital investment, it is assumed that parking fees will be collected at the new parking deck to offset debt service and carrying costs.”
Editor's note: The proposed structure has a footprint of around 44,000 square feet.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated otherwise.
