Naperville sets timeline for parking deck construction

Naperville is beginning construction this winter on $43 million in parking deck projects that will add nearly 1,000 spaces downtown.

The city announced the timeline Thursday for building two decks and adding onto a third over the next two years.

Doug Krieger, director of finance, said parking is one of the biggest downtown issues.

"What we look to do here … (is) ensure both our residents and nonresidents who visit downtown have a more positive experience by virtue of the fact they don't have to drive around the block four to five times," he said.

Last year, the city identified a need for an additional 600 to 800 parking spaces over a five-year period to accommodate development, not including the Water Street area, according to Marcie Schatz, director of transportation, engineering and development.

The Van Buren parking deck at the northeast corner of Van Buren Avenue and Main Street will be up first, with construction beginning this winter on a 317-space addition. The $9 million project will coincide with construction of the Naper Main commercial and residential development and is expected to be complete this summer.

During that time, the majority of the existing deck will remain open but the 51-space surface parking lot will be closed.

Once Van Buren is complete, construction will begin this summer on a 557-space Water Street deck east of the Naperville municipal center. The $14 million deck will provide parking for future development coming to the Water Street area due to its recent designation as a tax increment financing district. It should be complete by the summer of 2009.

Despite concern from area residents, Nichols Library also will be getting a 520-space structure to replace the existing 130-space surface lot. The $20 million deck will be built adjacent the library beginning in February 2009 and is slated to be complete by December 2009.

The $43 million worth of parking structures will be funded by the city, developers and an additional 1.5 percent tax on food and beverages at downtown bars and restaurants.

Schatz said the opportunity to partner with developers on the Van Buren and Water Street decks helped move the projects along.

"We've had a great opportunity over the last year … to achieve win-wins for developers and the city and the downtown," she said.

The city will continue to meet with residents to find ways to mitigate the effects of the construction.

Schatz said once the Van Buren addition is complete, the new spaces will ease some of the parking concerns while the other two decks are being built.