It’s been a long road for the rebuilding of downtown Birmingham’s Shain Park, but local leaders hope to see the light at the end of the tunnel later this year.
Ann Arbor-based Walker Parking Consultants are working on final plans for the 210-space parking garage, which will be constructed beneath the park. Those plans are expected to be finished by this summer and the project to go out to bid this fall. Construction could start as early as 30 to 60 days after a project bid is accepted, a city official says.
The $11 million project calls for an expansion of the park south onto a surface parking lot across Henrietta Street from The Townsend Hotel. Of that, about $7.5 million will be spent to build two levels of underground parking on the site and then expand the park's green space over it. The new underground parking garage will increase the total number of parking spaces on that space from 150 to about 210.
The plans also call for another $3.5 million investment to improve the park's infrastructure, such as aesthetically pleasing walkways and a band shell on the expanded portion. City officials hope to work it in with nearby sewer and street work. The construction will likely tie up the park for one to two years.
Source: Dennis Dembiec, director of engineering and public service for Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke
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