Richmond Announces Parking Plan for Oval Neighbourhood
July 27, 2005
The City of Richmond has announced plans to build a major parking structure to service the new urban riverfront community planned for the Richmond Oval site.
The new parking structure will be built underneath the Richmond Oval, but will service all of the new development planned for the City’s 29-acre site along River Road. The site master plan calls for creation of a mixed use City Centre neighbourhood on the property.
“We need to ensure this new neighbourhood has adequate parking,” said Greg Scott, the City’s Director of Major Projects. “As we move through the design phase for both the Richmond Oval and the surrounding area, it has become clear that the best utilization of land is to place parking under the Oval.”
“We will have a greener development as a result of not taking up additional space beyond the Oval footprint for this parking use,” added Scott. “Creation of an additional functional building level also allows us to reduce the Oval’s footprint, supporting our commitment to environmentally sustainable development.”
The new $23 million parking structure will provide up to 640 parking spots when completed. Once tenant improvements are completed for the Oval’s post-Games legacy use, 460 parking spots will be available to support neighbourhood and facility needs.
“We’re looking to the future with this new project,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “We are able to ensure the long term parking needs of the new Oval area community will be met, without impacting property taxes or borrowing. It will also allow us to create a greener more attractive urban neighbourhood, the development of which will generate substantial economic and social benefits for the City.”
While the parking structure is a separate project driven by its benefits for entire Oval area, it will also benefit the Richmond Oval, by:
- supporting the decision to raise the level of the field of play to enhance the design and viability of the facility;
- allow for creation of a vibrant storefront area along the south side of the facility, facing on to the realigned River Road;
- ensure that sufficient accessible parking exists at the Oval for both normal operations and for special events; and
- providing an enhanced revenue source.
The primary field of play for the Richmond Oval will now be built on top of the new parking structure making it level with the top of the dyke and a new waterfront plaza also being built as part of the structure. At the same time, the new parking structure will dramatically add to the 150 parking spots being created beneath the new waterfront plaza.
Construction of the Richmond Oval, including the new parking structure, will be completed by August 1, 2008. The project will be funded through a combination of a new voluntary Parking Area Fee for developers within the Oval neighbourhood, a reallocation of further qualifying development cost charges towards the new waterfront plaza and park and sale of surplus City land.
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