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Des Plaines officials weigh spending up to $8.8 million on new downtown garage

Des Plaines officials are considering whether to spend more than $8 million for a new downtown parking deck behind city hall and the police station.

They say the current two-level deck, directly west of The Choo-Choo Diner on Lee Street, is structurally deteriorated — costing $100,000 a year to patch up — and needs replacement.

A parking consultant presented the city council this week with six design options — ranging from two to four levels, and with a price tag of $5.8 million to $8.8 million.

None of the proposed designs encroach on The Choo-Choo, though two plans would build on a portion of the restaurant's parking lot. Previous plans in 2012 suggested building a garage that would have encircled and covered the restaurant.

The latest designs would increase the number of parking spaces available at the civic center by as much as 151, though one option would actually reduce parking by one space.

There's currently a total of 188 spots in the parking deck and two adjoining surface lots, used by city employees, police officers, and visitors.

Some employees park at the 471-space Metropolitan Square garage on Lee. An expanded city hall parking deck would allow them to park closer, said City Manager Mike Bartholomew.

“If we had an active theater and 300 to 400 people downtown, we may get to a parking issue,” he said. “Right now we're fine in parking. But should we achieve our goal of bringing people downtown, we will need more parking.”

The plan favored by Tim Oakley, the city's director of public works and engineering, calls for a 3-level garage with 204 spaces that would cost $6 million. With surface parking spots available outside, the plan would increase the number of spaces by 81 from what is there now.

Alderman Jim Brookman said the cost estimates are too much.

“I don't accept the argument that we have to do this,” he said. “I can't see spending $6 million for 81 spaces.”

But most aldermen said they favor a new garage, and agreed to allocate money for additional design work during budget discussions this fall.

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