Builders to begin $13M expansion of downtown parking deck

Birmingham Business Journal - by Lauren B. Cooper Staff

Construction is slated to begin Wednesday on the $13 million expansion of the parking deck adjacent to the proposed Marriott Renaissance Hotel in downtown Birmingham.

The expansion will double the deck's capacity by adding 700 more public parking spaces.

It also will include reconfigured entrances and exits for better traffic flow, a new facade and installation of state-of-the-art payment and monitoring systems, a news release said.

The deck will serve the proposed hotel and surrounding businesses, shops and restaurants.

"Adequate parking availability is absolutely essential to the long-term growth of downtown," said Michael Calvert, president of Operation New Birmingham, in the release. "Developers, Realtors and building managers have had difficulty attracting additional businesses due to limited parking in the financial district for some time. This larger, more efficient facility will help attract new businesses and, as importantly, assist in ONB's efforts to retain those that might be tempted by suburban office parks with surface parking."

A celebration will be held Wednesday morning marking the start of construction with Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, the Birmingham Parking Authority and Operation New Birmingham at the offices of law firm Adams and Reese LLP, across the street from the deck.

The expansion was designed by Birmingham's Williams Blackstock Architects.