Those looking for a spot to park downtown can look no further than the new four-story parking garage on Union Street.
The first three levels of the lot were made available to the public for the first time on Monday, while the fourth story continues to act as a staging area for the materials and parking related to the construction of apartments on the structure’s top level.
The garage’s Walnut Street entrance was made available Monday, while the Sycamore Street entrance will likely be ready for use by Friday, Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said.
“It’s not quite finished yet, but it is open to the public,” Goodnight said. “It probably won’t be until later in the week before the elevators are operational. Right now it is open to park, but we’re still waiting on some things with [the elevators] and some signage.”
The garage will offer about 400 spaces once the entire project is completed, with 80 reserved for county government employees and another 39 reserved for residents of the apartments. The lot currently is available for all members of the public for free parking at this time.
Goodnight said the city decided to open the lot to the public a couple days ahead of schedule so cars parked over on the lot of the future YMCA across the street could relocate as construction begins.
“We’re leaving it open to anyone right now,” he said. “The whole idea at this time was to get the cars off the YMCA.”
Construction on top of the structure, where 33 single bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments are being constructed, will continue until late March or early April of 2015. In the meantime, the lot will eventually offer 281 spots for public use.
When the apartments are completed, parking on the second through fourth levels of the garage will be free, all-day parking, while the main floor will contain two-hour public and handicapped parking spots. Reserved spots for the apartment residents will be located on the fourth floor, while county employees will have 40 reserved spots on both the second and third floors.
Goodnight said having the lot open will provide area businesses and patrons a convenient option to park when they are in the downtown.
“Anytime you can build up, whether it’s with businesses, residential or parking, it’s a good thing,” he said. “It will provide extra space and more room for people to get around downtown.”
The city paid off the $6 million it bonded for on the $9 million project in January with First Farmers Bank and Trust.