Construction in Downtown Glenwood Springs Proposed to Begin; Alternative Multi-Hour Parking and Alternative Transportation Encouraged

Two multi-month construction projects in downtown Glenwood Springs are about to start. The two projects, totaling $17 million in investment, include a dual-use building that will house the new Glenwood Springs Branch Library and new space for Colorado Mountain College (CMC); and a two-level public parking structure funded and built by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the City of Glenwood Springs.

The new 150-space parking garage at Ninth Street and Cooper Avenue is expected to be completed and open to the public in early 2013. Construction of the new dual-use facility for CMC and the Glenwood Springs Branch Library, at the southwest corner of Eighth Street and Cooper Avenue, is anticipated for completion in late summer or early fall 2013. Combined, the two projects will provide a net gain of 115 public spaces above current parking capacity in the area.

During the construction period, parking in the downtown core between the 800 and 900 blocks of Cooper Avenue will be limited. Alternative transportation including bus transit, cycling and walking are recommended for commuters and employees downtown.

Also, three alternative parking lots with public 12-hour vehicle and adjacent bicycle parking will be available for employees and visitors to the downtown. They include the lot at Tenth and School Streets, next to the Glenwood Springs Recycling Center, with 91 vehicle spaces; the City Hall Public Parking Lot on Eighth Street with 64 spaces; and the Seventh Street Public Parking Lot, available beginning May 2012, with 56 spaces. More than three dozen bike racks located throughout the downtown core will accommodate parking for bicycles.

Bus transportation through the Roaring Fork Transit Authority and the Ride Glenwood in-town bus transit loop is also encouraged.

In addition to parking changes, Cooper Avenue will be closed to through traffic on the block between Eighth and Ninth Streets for the duration of construction. The 12-hour Cooper Avenue public parking lot, located between the fire department substation and the First United Methodist Church, will remain open and may be accessed from the south entrance to the lot, from Ninth Street and Cooper Avenue. Vehicles exiting the parking lot will be directed into the alley heading south and back onto Ninth.

FCI Constructors, Inc. is under contract for both projects. FCI will provide personal, direct updates to residents and businesses near the construction site, and will provide weekly project updates that will be available at the City of Glenwood Springs website.