News

Council OKs $9.7 million parking deck downtown

A contractor is clearing the site for the new parking deck on Fifth Avenue West at North Church Street.

By Bill Moss, Published: September 22, 2021

An idea in the discussion stages for decades is coming to pass in Hendersonville.

The City Council on Wednesday authorized a contract for $9.73 million for the new parking deck on Fifth Avenue West between Wall and North Church streets.
The council agreed unanimously $153,000 for alternatives that would add brick veneer to the exterior, add bioinfiltration cells to improve drainage and add permeable pavers.
The price has done up by about $2 million because of supply chain and construction material shortages, said Andy Aldridge, a vice president for preconstruction services for Edifice, the Charlotte-based general contractor for the job.
“Everything that we’re seeing in North Carolina — all of our projects are somewhere around 15 to 20 percent over budget,” he said. “So this project is not unique. It is happening all over the state.” Clients ask what would happen if they waited, he said. “I do not think prices are going to go down. My professional opinion to you is do not wait. Material pricing historically doesn’t drop. The only thing that might drop is how busy folks are. We don’t see that tailing off either for at least two years. I don’t expect pricing to go down and I think this price that you have today is going to be the cheapest price you see probably forever.”
The parking deck is expected to open in 2023. Money borrowed to build is projected to be repaid through parking deck fees and long-term leases and paid parking on Main Street at $1.75 per hour starting in January 2023.
And parking deck lease revenue.
Council member Lyndsey Simpson endorsed spending more on landscaping around the parking deck.
“As much greenery around the parking garage the better,” she said. “I think second to functionality is the way the parking garage looks. That’s like the No. 1 complaint from people.”