PROJECT COMPLETE
City Center Parking Facility officially unveiled
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The Spa City now has more parking with the opening of the new City Center Parking Facility, a $16 million project that spent more than a decade in its planning phase.
Project leaders gathered on Tuesday for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the parking garage, a multi- story structure located between Maple Avenue and High Rock Avenue.
In addition to about 620 parking spaces, the facility features a pedestrian bridge over Maple Avenue that leads into the Saratoga Springs City Center, four electric car charging stations, overnight security, two green spaces and a rooftop area that can be utilized for parking and convention related events.
Construction began on the parking garage last September, and the project was finished this fall.
“It is so exciting to bring this needed project to fruition, and to be part of the City Center’s continued growth, but the credit for this project also belongs to many current and former city council members, City Center Authority members, City Center employees, and members of the business community,” Saratoga Springs City Center executive director Ryan McMahon said in a press release.
“This community can come together and get things done, and this is another example,” McMahon added at Tuesday’s event, thanking the partners involved.
City Center Authority board chairman Tom Roohan also expressed his appreciation for all of the community support. “I think we all should be very proud of our efforts in put
"It is so exciting to bring this needed project to fruition, and to be part of the City Center’s continued growth, but the credit for this project also belongs to many current and former city councilmembers, City Center Authority members, City Center employees, andmembers of the business community." — Saratoga Springs City Center Executive Director Ryan McMahon
ting this together,” he said to those gathered at the ceremony, calling it a fabulous project.
The garage, a design build project in partnership with Bette & Cring and Envision Architects, will serve both the City Center and downtown Saratoga Springs.
Alongwith offering parking for people attending the meetings, conventions and other events held at the Saratoga Springs City Center, anyone visiting the city’s downtown district can park in the garage too.
“We really built this garage for the downtown,” Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly said. “We have to keep Broadway vibrant, and this is the way to do it, with parking.”
Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scirocco said the City Center is the economic engine for the city, and until now the parking garage was the missing link. “By having this parking here, I think all the businesses will flourish in the city,” he continued, noting that local businesses need help at this time, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, more than ever.
“Hopefully it’ll work theway it needs towork, and I’m confident that it will.”
The City Center Parking Facility offers a pay per park system, through which the first hour of parking is free. Each additional hour is $1, with a maximum of $15 per day.
However, in an effort to help downtown Saratoga Springs restaurants and retail businesses, during the challenge of the pandemic this holiday season, the City Center will offer visitors four hours of complimentary parking on a daily basis until Jan. 1.
A limited number of yearly parking passes are now available for purchase from the Saratoga Springs City Center. Parking pass holders will receive benefits such as covered parking, electric charging stations, video surveillance and overnight security on site.
The City Center expects that these spaces will sell quickly, McMahon said in the release, noting that winter weather is coming soon.