By james art Advertising
BIRMINGHAM – Parking garages aren’t usually known for being aesthetically pleasing. Although the structural design of a parking garage is complex, there is often little or no interior design to brighten up the gray concrete.
However, the City of Birmingham plans to make all five of its parking structures more welcoming to visitors by sprucing up the space with new paint and lighting.
“We’re making an investment in these parking lots to improve them, and I think it’s a wise investment to make sure they’re not only structurally sound, but also improved for the user’s eyes,” said Parking Systems Manager Aaron Ford. “We want people to feel safe, welcome and welcome.”
The Chester Street Parking Garage, located at 180 Chester St., is currently undergoing structural repairs to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, waterproofing and more. The renovation will continue until next August. The city plans to add an interior design update to it and the other four structures. The garage in Chester will be the first to see the interior design improvements.
“Obviously, with the importance they have to our community, we want to make sure they look good, that people feel comfortable using them, that there’s easy entry and exit, that there’s enough lighting so that people feel in safety, that they’re clean and well-maintained, and maybe through that they’ll have some kind of artistic flair or something that makes them even more attractive to consumers,” Assistant City Manager Mark Clemons said.
Structural repairs to the garage in Chester are being carried out by RAM Construction. The contract was awarded to them at the June 24 Birmingham City Commission meeting for just under $5 million. However, when it was approved, the new lighting was excluded from the proposal. City officials decided they wanted interior design professionals to provide input on lighting and paint additives, rather than city staff figuring it out on their own.
After receiving direction from the City Commission in July, city staff put out a call for bids for interior-exterior design services. A firm will be selected to fulfill the city’s goal of making parking more attractive to residents and visitors.
Five offers were returned by the August deadline, ranging in price from $67,700 to $224,187.
“Components such as paint and LED lights were budgeted as part of the renovation, but specifically the services of hiring a design consultant were not budgeted,” Ford said.
Because the design consultation portion of the project was not previously budgeted for, city staff will have to request a budget amendment at a city commission meeting.
The bids will be officially presented at the city commission meeting on November 18. To watch meetings online, visit bhamgov.org/about_birmingham/city_government/watch_a_city_meeting.
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