Home Renovations planned for Johnson Street Parking Garage in Staunton
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Renovations planned for Johnson Street Parking Garage in Staunton

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staunton virginiaThe Johnson Street parking garage in Staunton is scheduled to undergo significant repairs to update and revitalize the structure this year.

While the City has made repairs to the garage over the years, this renovation will represent the first major rehabilitation project since the garage was built 42 years ago.

Renovations are expected to last approximately six months and cost an estimated $2.5 million. The City opted to repair the garage rather than demolish and replace it at an estimated cost of $8.8 million.

The City hired engineering consulting firm Wiley Wilson last year to perform a structural assessment of the garage, including repair recommendations, cost estimates and the estimated life of future repairs. Wiley Wilson’s assessment showed widespread distress to the garage, mostly a result of water infiltration through the structure’s failed joint system between precast concrete columns. The infiltration of water has created a pathway for moisture and de-icing salts to reach much of the structure, leading to corrosion and cracking of the concrete.

“We’ve learned that while there is extensive distress to the structure, it can be repaired and the life of the garage can be extended another 20 years,” said Staunton’s Director of Public Works Tom Sliwoski, who is overseeing the renovation process. “The key is to do the repairs right now, and then continue to perform maintenance on the structure periodically. If we defer repairs, the distress to the structure will in all probability make it unusable within the next two to five years. We want to ensure that the garage is structurally sound and maximize its use as long as we possibly can.”

Impact on Parking

There will be significant disruptions to parking in the Johnson Street garage during renovations, and the garage is likely to be closed for periods of time. The City will not know the duration of any closure and the full impact of the disruptions until the details of the renovation process have been sorted out with the contractor doing the work.

“In the meantime, we are attempting to make alternative arrangements for the City’s monthly customers who park in the Johnson Street garage,” Sliwoski said. “It is our goal to make this temporary situation as uncomplicated as possible for our residents and businesses.”

The City began the procurement process by requesting qualifications from contractors on Nov. 20 and expects to select a contractor for the project in the coming weeks. The selected contractor will also perform maintenance work on the New Street parking garage. The City is seeking bids for both projects together to gain some efficiencies and cost savings in completing repairs to both facilities under a single contract.

Maintenance work on the New Street parking garage will not be extensive—estimated to cost about $300,000—and should not significantly disrupt parking there.

Questions?

The City expects to provide additional information to monthly customers who use the Johnson Street garage within the next several weeks, once more details of the renovation project are available.

For more information on downtown parking, call 540.332.3812.

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