Public parking garage expansion may begin this year

KENNETT SQUARE » Finding a parking space in Kennett Square is often challenging, but that could get a lot easier, as expansion of the borough’s public parking garage could begin later this year.

The expansion of the parking garage, located at State and Union streets, will add another 100 parking spaces to the existing 350 parking spaces available now. But 310 of those spaces are designated as permitted parking spots, and Genesis Health Ventures currently uses 340 spaces.

Joe Scalise, the borough’s manager, said the project will cost anywhere between $1.5 and $2 million. However, the borough recently secured a $500,000 grant from the county, and another

$750,000 from the state. And the borough could add the $386,000 it received last year for selling the Weinstein lot to the Kennett Library.

“We hope to have construction started by the end of this year,” Scalise said. “We are moving forward as fast as possible.”

Scalise has been commissioned with developing a feasibility study that would include adding borough offices and a police station on the bottom level of the facility. That study is being released to the borough’s architects for review. Council will make a decision after it reviews the study.

Whether or not the plan includes a police station and borough hall, the building next to the parking garage off North Broad Street will be demolished. At one time it was used as for a magisterial district justice office.

Funding for the garage expansion has been dialed into the 2018 budget, according to Scalise, though council had earlier considered a larger, $3 million parking garage expansion.

Public parking meters will be installed at the new garage expansion. Parking is $1 per hour, with a threehour maximum.

Pat Bokovitz, director of the Chester County Department of Community Development, said funding will be released for the parking garage expansion only after the project begins.

“The money is available to them,” he said, “and we have a contract with the borough.”

Demand is high for new parking, in part because the borough’s population has spiked in the past decade as the town has experienced resurgence. Population has increased 20 percent in Kennett Square since 2000.

“Parking has always been one of the big bugaboos,” said Geoff Bosley, former council member who oversaw the borough’s finance committee. “We’ve been looking for the opportunity to expand the garage for 20 years. Adding that garage allows the borough to continue to move forward and grow the economic viability of Kennett.”

FRAN MAYE – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA The Kennett Square public parking garage will soon be expanded. The building on the left, which at one time was offices of the magisterial district judge, will be demolished.