Will elevator draw traffic to Mount Prospect garage?

Mount Prospect's downtown parking garage may be a best kept secret for those dining or shopping in the village's central business district.

The village board hopes to change that and encourage its use, in part by installing an elevator at the structure's southwest corner.

On Tuesday, the board approved paying up to $20,000 to Desman Design Management of Chicago for engineering services that will include a cost estimate for the elevator and concept plans.

Public Works Director Sean Dorsey said Desman had an edge because of its role as designer and construction engineer for the parking deck. The firm has proprietary access to drawings, construction specifications and foundation plans, Dorsey said.

Trustee Steven Polit said the village did such a good job of creating a structure that does not look like a standard parking garage that some may not be aware of its purpose.

"We didn't want to have an ugly parking garage in the middle of downtown Mount Prospect," he said.

After recently visiting a downtown restaurant that was packed, Polit said he noticed his was the only vehicle on the basement level of the garage. Parking lots and surface parking nearby were full.

"I was the only car in the basement of the parking garage, because it doesn't look like a parking garage," he said.

Trustee Colleen Saccotelli said the parking garage is a key element to the future of the downtown triangle area, bordered by Northwest Highway, Main Street and Busse Avenue.

"I think it's an important first step of hopefully getting the triangle redeveloped," she said.

Village Manager Michael Cassady said the idea for an elevator first came up during the board's strategic planning process last year.

"What we're really trying to do is create a more viable parking resource at the existing deck by placing an exterior elevator on that facility," he said.