This meeting is about garages, and we are joined by uh Councillor Joan Rouser, Councillor Hudson, Councilor Um Moore, Nave, myself, President Penawa, and Councillor Manto, and then Councillor Codwell.

And to our left is Deputy Mayor Corey Driscoll Dunham.

Did I get that right?

You did.

Thank you, Council.

Fantastic.

See, I like I like it when I get things right.

All right.

So lead us.

Go ahead.

Um, so counselors, uh, thank you for the opportunity to talk about parking garages.

Um, you'll see on page nine of the proposed budget, there is um the estimated revenues for each one of the garages.

So um the garages that we um continue to operate, uh Madison Irv Garage, Washington Street Garage, Armory Square Garage, um, you know, the Harrison Garage we own but is operated by um the Marriott, and then the Fayette Garage, which is kind of the headline for the difference between last year's budget and this year's budget, is that um the Fayette Garage obviously needed to um close um a few months ago, and so um with the council support plans are underway to demolish the Fayette Garage, and then we will begin to reimagine what that um parcel could look like.

And we just vote uh to get it for the for the funding for the yeah, we just voted about two sessions ago, yeah.

I believe so.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So um we, you know, um last year, I believe it was last summer we issued an RFP for the operation of the um of our garages, you know, competitively bid.

Um Laz came in as the lowest bidder, and so they obtained the contract.

And so right now we have them under a one-year contract with I believe two one year renewals.

Um so uh I think that's all I have, I guess is as ours?

I'm sorry, the onset of parking garage is ours.

So we get a portion of the proceeds, right?

It's owned by the county, but I think at the time that it was built, there was some agreement between the city and the county that we would get a portion of the proceeds of the revenue.

And then another question.

Yes, uh line 42730 on page nine.

What is a parking garage registration?

So I believe I'm looking at Julie.

Is that for through through code enforcement through privately owned?

So privately owned garages, and I see uh Deputy Commissioner Dish hiding back there.

Hi there.

Um we have privately owned garages, and so if you own a private garage, you are required to pay a fee.

Uh you have to have a um engineering report.

You know, we often do inspections for the for the garages, so I believe that's what that refers to.

In here, okay.

What about the um parking lots?

What is that?

20 20,000 and then now.

So the parking lots that we operate um are I think they were just referenced in the previous budget hearing where they are often owned by the state, and then we operate them.

So there's one down on Pearl Street.

I think there's one on Butternut.

Um I think there's one other that I'm not thinking of, but they're state-owned, and we we operate them.

It's not a it's not a tremendous amount of revenue.

Uh the demand isn't incredibly high, but every little bit helps.

Well, what's the what's the um rush the difference between um well yeah, like if we're operating it, we have to plow it.

So I saw yeah, I don't that's a great question.

I don't know the answer to that.

I don't believe that we do, but I will find out.

I mean, and I know um the extent mostly of our engagement is that we send out the parking passes each month to the to the folks that park their monthly, but I will find out whether or not the upkeep of those um parking lots falls on us.

And if it if you know, right, does it balance out?

Yeah, right.

That's a great question.

I will find out.

So I I want to go to um Madison uh Urban Garage.

Say is there um there is a proposal of 650.

Uh wait, wait, not I'm looking at the wrong one.

So proposed of 600 and no seven hundred and fifty thousand, seven seven hundred and thirty-five thousand, eight eighty-five thousand dollar difference.

Where is that money gonna come from?

Is that is that is that more spaces being used or or or is it projected that we are there's gonna be more space available for usage or what where's that that because that's 85,000, you know.

So I'm looking to the budget team if there's anything that my I think part of it would be that we increase the parking garage rates last fall.

They were effective um in November, so that might account for a part of it, and then I can also determine um from Laz whether or not because they're always what's that oh so our actuals came in higher than budget, okay.

So our actuals for FY26 came out at 731?

Oh, and 25 came in at certain 731.

Okay, okay.

So I think I think a good portion of that is attributable to the rate increase.

Okay.

So so uh so in terms of the real numbers, remove since we are going to um to demolish Fayette, so that leaves Madison, Arrison, Washington, Amory, right?

Just four garages.

Right?

With with the exception of on center.

Right, and and that Harrison is operated by the Marriott.

So the city doesn't technically city that we operate through three.

Yes.

Although, you know, the and I know Eric Ennis is here as well.

The you know, there are ongoing conversations about the future of Fayette and what the plans are there and whether there's still an opportunity for Laz to stay engaged there um and you know, if we pursue parking long term there, but all those plans are still coming together.

So and then I can let other counselors go.

Doesn't make sense for the city or one garage.

It's a great question.

We've been asking that for the last 20 years.

Yeah, I mean, I I think there are valid arguments on both sides.

Obviously, garages are intense in terms of their maintenance and the capital expenditures oftentimes, especially in a place of our climate.

Uh, and I think you're seeing that across the city, a number of garages that were built roughly around the time the same time that are starting to meet the end of their useful life.

Um is not my expertise, but I know also from the economic development side of things, it does help the city to um at least have one or two garages so that we can try to set um a reasonable price for folks so that parking garages don't become so expensive that people don't have any affordable options um in order to park downtown, and also I know historically attracting tenants downtown um in the past.

I think this is more pre-COVID, but perhaps things are coming around, attracting tenants downtown to be able to say, and we can provide you uh parking.

You know, we still have plenty of capacity in the Washington Street garage, and so I know Laz is always pursuing those partnerships on our behalf, but uh, you know, that's so there are certainly arguments on both sides.

I think what we've tried to do is strategically offload those garages that um we just don't see the long-term value, and I think that's again with the council support, we were able to convey ownership of the AXA garage to an entity that we thought made more sense to own it than for the city.

Um, obviously the future of Fayette is a is in question.

Madison Irving has obviously seen a lot of development along East Gen of C Street, and so we're having conversations internally of whether or not is that something for the city to hang on to and try and capitalize on that development, or do we try and convey ownership um so that it can be put to you know use given all the development there?

You know, the Washington Street Garage we are putting a good amount of effort into because that one is the newest, um the least old, uh, and still has a a good amount of capacity and and is in you know pretty good shape, and so we're trying to make sure that we do the ongoing maintenance that might have been lacking in the past to try and keep the Washington Street Garage.

So I was just gonna think about that.

So we get somewhere at two million, you know.

We I mean I'm if you add this up, um, but then how much does it cost to sustain to maintain them?

So I mean it is I'm trying to there are some I can certainly get you a breakdown because I know it's not provided in the in the budget book um of what some of the um maintenance costs are um you know, and engineering has their cost estimates from from CNS that we get when they do their inspection reports.

So, you know, that's really President Paniagua to your question, the math that we're going through with you know, garages like Madison Irving to say, okay, these are the estimated costs that we're looking at.

Um does it make sense for us to continue to hang on to this asset, whereas you know, Washington Street certainly has work that needs to be done, but I don't think it's anywhere near the scale of some of the other garages in terms of their needs, and so you're absolutely right, that's what's factoring into a lot of our decisions.

Do we still own that?

So we own the lot at uh or Sir Sura owns the lot Eric at Washington and Clinton right behind uh one Lincoln well one like in center okay so Surah still owns that yes and is you know for all intents and purposes operated by the city with parking meters yes there was talk of of selling the parking lot I'm not sure where that um where that left off Corey is the administration looking any sites for a garage and the one that comes to my mind since the police department has left we own that building right the PSB PSP.

So we share ownership with the county yes so is there any instrumental talk maybe demolishing it to put a garage in that location so there to your point counselor there are conversations about you know with the loss of the Fayette Street Garage the Horne Street Garage um you know there is a certain uh lack of parking really on this side of downtown and so that's why in part we're excited to engage with the county executive and his plan to kind of make that more of a convention corridor is that the is that the correct term um to you know explore whether or not parking you know I I think in order to support what the county is imagining for that stretch of up of um state street I think parking is necessarily a part of it and so that's why we're excited to engage with the county to see what they're imagining so that perhaps we can not only have um parking that would support what the county is imagining for that but also maybe some of the other areas of of this part of downtown that really could use additional parking some of the employers.

And so the areas going north towards uh Warren and Dean of James you have uh 81 a portion of that may go down so has there been conversations about using that I know it's state property use that for city employee parking yeah I mean I think you know making sure that we have a place for employees to park is important you know and this is in part why we introduce again with the council support the the shuttle because we do have the Washington Street garage we do have capacity there so we try to encourage employees you know to park there as a complement to that we also offer free central service for all city employees you know so that um transportation to work hopefully we're making it as painless as possible is good to have been used there to come to work but then then you know you have the employees that need the vehicle.

Yeah I mean I think the land under the viaduct you know there's been an ongoing conversation the community of like how to put that to the best and highest use and I'm I would imagine that some will argue that parking lots is not the best use of that land but to your point you know we need to make sure that we have enough place and room for employees to get to work.

What is the in the very first line I don't know if that's even part of this conversation the set out charges what is that is the the very first so this is um so page nine I think is all the revenue that is generated by public works and so the first one is set out charges.

Yeah it's not specific to garages it's the charges um for people for a legal set outs so related to sanitation Eric did you have something you wanted to I I wanted to Deputy Mayor touched on it early about the economic viability of keeping garages.

Sure.

Yep you the what I was just part of the reason why I want to come up and just reference is uh because conversations we're having with SMTC the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council they are assisting us with a short um abbreviated in about three to four months being able to do an immediate study around the downtown area given the impact of the Fayette Grouch closure given the impact of I 801 and the fact that we're already seeing some of the impacts of people who previously were parking under sections of the ground of the of the bridge have had to relocate.

So that's on the immediate front and SMTC is uniquely qualified because of the fact that they can look at a number of different elements they also the uh the idea has been really looking at the entire urban core of the city as well and that's going to be a larger study they'll be undertaking to the point about the economic development piece you know when you look at some of the newer garages that have been established within the city over the years that has been St.

Joseph's recently built a new garage facility SUNY upstate some of the hospitals but also looking at the long-term maintenance plan the rate in which you're charging and so I think some of the what we have really been trying to do is looking at what is the commensurate rates that are being charged in our garages now examining that fee schedule but um it's we're not the only city in upstate New York struggling from a from how to manage a portfolio of garages and really what is the best approach.

So that has been something we are regularly evaluating and looking at and it's some of it too is that we have a number of different facilities throughout downtown throughout the downtown core proximity is also a challenge.

Proximity is also a challenge.

So you have more capacity at something like the Washington Street Garage on the west side of downtown, whereas the unfortunately the situation with the closure and and upcoming demolition of the Fayette Garage, it's become much more acute in the east side of downtown.

And the timing then with the IED1 Viad are coming down.

So these are things that we're looking at, but then by able to work with partners like the downtown committee and like SFTC, that will help us with making informed decisions about where we go from here.

And um what how's the flow or migration from the Fayette Street um garage?

Like did we did those individuals or contracts transfer to other garages?

Did we lose people?

Yeah, it I think that there's a bit of a scatter, uh it was a scattered approach.

We know that there are employees that are working in a building like one park place, for example, that are now utilizing the Washington Street garage.

Um and so some of that has been walking.

You've had some employees just based on the preference of the market, is if they can find a space in a lot that's closer, they may be willing to pay a premium to do that.

So it has been a little bit of depending on the employer, depending on the company.

Um, some have found um lots where they are employees can park instead.

Thank you.

Sure.

Absolutely.

You got anything else?

I don't think so.

Okay.

Uh counselors, anything?

Thanks.

Thank you.

Uh that will uh conclude our meeting for now.

Uh motion to adjourn.

Oh move.

Second.

All right.

Thank you, Counselor Sharp.

Thank you.

Thank you.