Opinion: Parking garage on the Hill — boon or boondoggle?
The Boulder city government is proposing to promote the development of a new “boutique” hotel on the southwest corner of Broadway and University by building a two-story parking garage underneath it. Apparently the overall objective is to solve the Hill’s continuing problems, identified as lack of parking, lack of year-round business, and lack of an “anchor.” Here’s what I’ve found out to date: Currently, the site has 62 public parking spaces plus 26 private spaces, all of which will be eliminated. The underground lot will have 204 spaces. Three spaces are reserved for the University Hill General Improvement District, and 32 for the hotel. So there will be 169 left for the public, a net gain of 81 spaces. (If hotel patrons occupying the 173 rooms bring more than 32 cars, this net gain is reduced.) The public cost for the garage, including some sidewalk area improvements, is $20 million for construction, plus the $2 million UHGID Pleasant Street lot, which is being donated. So the