EDC Commissions Parking Structure Study
/By Andrew Wroblewski
awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Pictured is the municipal lot between New and Green streets in Huntington village, one of the lots that have been considered for construction of the town’s long-discussed parking structure.
Pivoting from a previous plan for a public-private partnership to build the long-discussed Huntington village parking structure, town officials have commissioned an up-to-$10,000 study to explore other methods funding the structure.
The town’s Economic Development Corporation authorized Jan. 30 the retention of Old Bethpage-based Level G Associates to study the feasibility of constructing the parking structure upon the municipal lot, south of Main Street, between New and Green streets. Level G’s founder and principal, Gerard Giosa, has over 30 years of experience as a parking consultant.
“With demand for the limited parking in Huntington Village remaining strong, especially at peak periods, now is the time to explore the parking garage option in greater depth,” Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone said in a news release. “I look forward to the results of this study and the consortium’s discussion of its conclusions.”
Level G will review and update previous Huntington village parking studies, complete a conceptual design of a parking structure and assess the project’s potential, sizing and economics. The study is expected to take around three months and cost up to $10,000, which will be pulled from the town EDC’s budget, according to town spokesman A.J. Carter.
Should the preliminary study determine that the project appears to be economically feasible, Level G’s next step could be to undertake the more detailed study that would be required to obtain financing.
The town wants to “explore how to finance construction of the structure and how to do it without any effect on the tax cap,” Carter said in a phone call Wednesday. He added that one potential method of funding would be utilizing parking fees generated by the completed structure.
The study was OK’d, Carter said, by the Huntington Village Parking Consortium, which includes members of the town, town EDC, Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, Huntington Village Business Improvement District and The Paramount theater.
When the town considered a public-private partnership it put out a request for proposal to potential developers that drew three plans. However, upon review, the decision was made to seek other methods of funding since the consortium is pushing for a “parking-only structure.”
Carter also said that the Elm Street municipal lot, which was previously targeted as a potential site for the parking structure, is no longer being considered “at this point.”
He said, “The footprint of the New Street-Green Street lot would allow for a structure with more spaces than the Elm Street site.”
