Parking in Aggieville was limited even before construction sites began popping up around the shopping district, so the city of Manhattan and the Aggieville Business Association decided it was time to act and expand the parking. Last spring, the city announced a new parking garage was coming to Aggieville.
With McCownGordon Construction at the helm of the project, groundbreaking for the new parking garage began in December 2020.
Brian Johnson, Manhattan city engineer, said McCownGordon Construction is under a construction manager-at-risk contract with the city.
He said the city is also working on landscaping and street widening along North Manhattan Avenue in front of the garage and along Laramie Street on the south side of the garage. Other streets to see landscape improvements are 14th Street and Anderson Avenue as well as 14th Street and Laramie Street.
“We are going to develop some new turns lanes, put in some new signals and we’re going to do quite a bit of improvements to help people get to the garage and get out of the garage,” Johnson said. “Within the next two to four weeks, you will start seeing cranes and other large construction equipment start putting the foundations in for the parking garage.”
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The new parking garage will feature around 500 parking spaces, a bike parking room and about 8,000 square feet of potential retail, office and tenant space.
Dennis Cook, executive director of the Aggieville Business Association, said the specifics of the parking management plan is not yet decided.
“At upcoming City Commission meetings, a large discussion is going to be had about the parking management plan,” Cook said.
For parking payments, people will use an app.
“It is going to be all off of reading one’s license plate,” Cook said. “Whatever your bill is will be sent to you [through the app].”
Prices are not yet set for the parking rate, but Cook said depending on how often you use the app or park in the garage could help determine what kind of rate the person could get.
When it comes to the actual construction, Cook said the concrete pouring happens off-site.
“The pieces get brought in and it’s like a very large Lego set,” Cook said. “Then they stand them up one piece to the next and then they build it.”
Rich Markle, owner of Rock-A Belly Bar and Deli in Aggieville, said he was happy to see more parking availability for people who want to come to Aggieville.
“I would hope that it would bring a convenience to more customers that maybe are choosing not to come to Aggieville because of the parking,” Markle said. “If it brings more total parking then that is a positive.”
The parking garage is set to finish and open to the public in February 2022.
More information on planned developments for the Aggieville Community Vision is on the City of Manhattan website.
