AURORA | The city will likely add more than 600 more parking spaces at East Iliff Avenue for its coming light rail line for as much as $10.5 million, the Aurora City Council decided Monday night. The city tentatively approved a contract with Mortenson Construction to design and build the parking structure by November 2015.
RTD planned for 600 surface parking spaces at the station when FasTracks was approved in 2004, but city officials worried that the major commuter station would need more structured parking. Aurora’s Nine Mile Station, located just south of the Iliff station, has more than 1,000 parking spots and is normally full by 8 a.m.
Councilman Bob Broom pointed out that the site plan included in the city’s documents showed the garage having 662 spaces. Deputy City Manager Nancy Freed said the project is conceptual until the contract is approved. She added that the facility is a design-build project with a maximum cost of $10,500,000.
“It can be more, but it has to be 600,” she said of the spaces. “And it can be expandable to four floors , which we think is really important for the future.” She said so far, the city and RTD do not have plans to charge for any of the parking.
The garage will be two stories when completed with commuters being able to access it from the yet-to-be-constructed Anaheim Street, according to city documents.
The parking facility will also include handicap parking, elevators and stairways, security cameras lighting, as well as electric vehicle charging stations. The money will also be used to construct surrounding streets and utilities for the parking structure.
The city initially budgeted around $9 million for the parking garage — with $6 million approved by council and $2.8 million from RTD. That cost increased with the addition of elevators, RTD security requirements and a public plaza planned for the northwest corner of the garage that will connect to the station walkway. Additional funding for the garage will come out of the city’s Capital Projects Fund.
City officials have not yet determined who will operate and maintain the garage. Under the city’s agreement with RTD, the garage should be mostly complete by November 2015.
“Having built $400 million worth of highways with design-build, I know how good it works, and I’m glad we’re doing it,” said Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan of the contract.
A very nice addition that will be highly appreciated.
Good work, City of Aurora.