(110th in a series of posts on parking)
The Parking Authority never did come back to City Council in August to share and discuss their final financial statement on the Polk Street Garage.
Promises, promises.
Sigh.
Instead, tonight they are signing the papers that get PSG going.
So we are going to have a garage at 3rd and Polk Streets for $16.8m. Could be by end of 2020.
But you know Gadfly had resigned himself to that.
And the last time we met on this topic he was on to concern about the design of the garage.
He was saying such things as, Well, if we are going to have a garage, let’s make sure it incorporates the best design ideas and that it aligns with such City goals as walkability and Climate Action.
And you know he was reading Jeff Speck’s books on walkability and getting idea after idea.
Gadfly eagerly wants “us” to have a conversation about the design before it’s too late, before the PSG goes into production.
Gadfly rather likes the current “feel” of the eastern corridor of 3rd Street between New and Hayes. How ’bout you?
Can you picture where the new garage will be? Some people have to pause and think.
3rd and Polk. Where Polk takes that bent jog across 3rd. Open tree-lined space now. Between Charter Arts and Northampton Community College. Catercorner from Molinari’s on one end and Five10 Flats on the other.
The circled area in the center of the map here:
Polk looking north, Charter Arts on your left, garage space on right:
Looking east from Molinari’s corner, NCC behind trees in the center:
Looking west, that’s Five10 Flats under construction on left, garage space on right:
Polk looking south, garage space on left, Charter Arts on right:
Got it in your mind’s-eye now?
We want a great design on that corner, right?
Missy Hartnett of Southside Arts District talked of putting a piano on the street by NCC — Whoa! Are we going to be funkeeeee?
And though Gadfly’s heard all kinds of talk about the size of the garage and the cost of the garage and such, he’s been hoping for a design, hoping that he could “see” what is planned.
Well, thanks to good followers, there is some information he can tell you, show you.
Follow on.
Easton has had public / street pianos available in front of Easton Public Market and now on S 3rd Street.
Trees. The loss if all of those lovely sycamores makes me so sad. The city should specify that the two major beneficiaries of the garage are required to provide some mature trees to the new streetscape.