More parking to start popping up

After several years of research and debate, work on the first of three downtown Naperville parking deck projects is about to begin.

Construction equipment will start rolling in next week for the first phase, a 317-space addition to the Van Buren deck at the northeast corner of Van Buren Avenue and Main Street.

The city plans to spend roughly $43 million on the three projects to provide about 1,000 more parking spaces in its busy downtown.

"I'm excited, for one," said Dick Dublinski, development team leader. "I've been a resident since 1970. There is a need, a definite need, for parking."

The $9 million Van Buren deck addition will be surrounded by the Naper Main commercial and residential development, which will be constructed simultaneously.

When construction begins, the majority of the existing deck will remain open, but the 51-space surface lot could close as early as Monday.

"Parking is at a premium downtown and we realize that, so we'll keep it open as long as we can," Dublinski said.

The deck addition is scheduled to open late this summer.

Another new development is spurring the need for the second parking project -- a new 557-space deck on Water Street.

In December, the city approved plans to create a tax increment financing district in hopes of attracting new businesses on the aging block. To provide parking for those businesses, construction on a $14 million deck will get under way this summer and should take about a year to complete.

A TIF district freezes property tax payments to local governments for up to 23 years. The extra tax revenue collected from owners as the property is developed and increases in value is used to pay off the original improvements.

The final deck in the plan will be at the Nichols Library to replace the 130-space surface lot. The $20 million project will create about 520 spaces.

The timeline the city released earlier this month called for the Nichols deck to be built in 2009. But city staff members now are recommending that construction start in February 2010 and end that December.

Officials cite the additional parking the other two decks will provide and the time it will take for new developments to get up and running as the reasons for pushing back the construction schedule.

The concept of a Nichols deck has drawn criticism from neighbors who are concerned about its proximity to nearby neighborhoods and the cost of the project. City officials say they are looking for ways to reduce the expense.

Building the decks will mean the removal of some street and surface parking, but will provide a net gain of roughly 1,000 spaces, officials said.

Ken Karlson, marketing co-chairman of the Downtown Naperville Alliance, said the additional spaces are crucial for businesses.

"In general, no mater how wonderful downtown is, if people don't have a place to park or are frustrated and can't find a place to park, they're not coming back," he said.

Funding for the projects is coming from a variety of sources, including the city, developers and a proposed 1.5 percent tax on food and beverages at downtown bars and restaurants that is awaiting final approval from the city council and restaurant owners.