Community: City of Berkley
Population: 10,000+
The City of Berkley recently constructed the first municipal parking lot in over 20 years, with the help of merchants, the school district, and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). A group of merchants on Coolidge approached the DDA about needed improvements. Growing customer traffic taxed an existing small municipal parking lot near the merchants. The city owned property nearby, but it was being leased to the school district as part of a practice field. The school district agreed to terminate the lease to allow for additional parking. While the Coolidge businesses are within the DDA, the proposed parking was outside the DDA. The city agreed to build the parking lot, and the DDA agreed to re-roof the library, which is located inside the DDA. The parking lot provides 33 new parking spaces as well as bicycle parking for people visiting the downtown or school.
Replicability:
Stakeholders coming together to solve problems is often easier said than done. Finding common ground is what made this project possible. The stakeholders recognized that additional parking was beneficial to everyone and each stakeholder could bring something to the table to assist in making the parking lot happen. The method of finding common ground, while perhaps not always easy to replicate, is essential to making projects happen.
Creativity and Originality:
While municipal parking is not a new idea, in Berkley there hadn’t been a new parking lot constructed in over 20 years. Like many cities, Berkley is built-out and land is valuable. Resources for cities and schools are finite. However, it is important for the City to invest, not just by maintaining what’s there, but reacting to the new needs of residents and businesses and addressing them in a way that only the public sector can.
Community Impact:
• The parking lot’s location at the rear of the buildings encourages walking, plus the additional bike rack fulfills the City’s Complete Streets Resolution.
• Additional free parking for the surrounding businesses and high school.
• On-street parking on Coolidge is now available for business customers.
• There have been continued improvements to the business district, including 10 new businesses since 2014, and multiple property improvements, including new signs, painting of facades, and landscaping.
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Project Multimedia:
Project PowerPoint - Berkley Parking
