With a number of projects planned or slated for construction in downtown Missoula, those with an eye on parking believe the time will come when a new garage is needed.

The Missoula Parking Commission this week made clear its intent to get ahead of the process and explore its ability to construct a new garage without the support of the city or other downtown organizations.

It plans to secure a financial consultant to detail its means to do so.

“We're trying to push the effort forward and take control of planning it, and make sure we collaborate with other stakeholders but not wait for a developer or the downtown association or the city to say that we need a garage,” said commission chair Joe Easton.

Brenda Peydon, a senior accountant, said the Missoula Parking Commission has a current cash balance of around $1 million, with around $7.3 million in both short- and long-term debt.

The majority of that debt lies in capital with a smaller amount in liabilities. She described the commission's debt ratio as “very healthy,” meaning it likely has the capacity to bond a large capital project.

“Currently, the parking commission is in a good cash-flow state, but whether it could sustain a new project of that magnitude, you'd have to look at doing a long-term projection and what does that look like,” she said.

The commission plans to crunch the numbers, including the initial cost of a new garage, the revenue it would produce and how it would impact the commission's budget over the long term.

But other factors are in play, including the demand for parking. The city currently has a number of garages and whether they're fully utilized, at what location and during what hours remains a question needing answered.

“I've heard plenty of things that would indicate that we need another garage. But I've also heard quite a bit about underutilization, better signage and how to maximize what's there and currently available,” said commission member JR Casillas. “I'm generally in favor of an additional garage. I'd just want to make sure any final decisions are informed.”

(City of Missoula)
(City of Missoula)
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In downtown Missoula, the need for parking varies from block to block. The city provides around 1,200 on-street spaces and another 1,300 parking spaces in its lease program, which includes surface lots and garages.

Some suggest that surface lots in the urban core are a waste of space, and structured parking with ground-floor commercial opportunities are more ideal. In recent years, the city contributed to structured parking at the Roam student housing project, which includes ground-floor amenities.

In 2006, the city – with support from the Missoula Redevelopment Agency – also built the Park Place garage, which also includes ground-floor retail. It was the last stand-alone garage the city built. It's also heavily leased by surrounding businesses and may provide fewer parking opportunities for the average downtown customer.

“Because downtown you are not required to put in parking doesn't mean you ought not put in parking as a developer,” said commissioner Glenda Bradshaw. “We have some existing assets that I don't believe are fully in the public good and represent the needs of the citizens who paid for those structures. I'd like to see that addressed.”

With action afoot, the commission will explore both its financial ability to build a new garage and determine the actual need based on current parking data. It will also work with other stakeholders to determine whether a garage conflicts with other city goals around transportation.

Among them, Mountain Line is set to expand service by as much as 30% this summer, and the city is pushing to reduce single-vehicle occupancy trips.

“There is nothing more accessible in downtown Missoula than a bus,” said commission member Peter Walker-Keleher. “As part of the mode-shift goals community wide, I'd be hesitant to invest in another parking structure before having evaluated all these alternative options for meeting that parking demand.”

The new Downtown Master Plan identifies a number of locations for structured parking including Caras Park, the parking lot across from the old railroad depot, the old library block and the Riverfront Triangle.

The commission also believes that structured parking would be beneficial across from City Hall, and it could make that location its top recommendation. It sits near the county courthouse and Mountain Line's main transit center, and it could accommodate an array of downtown employees.

Easton said such details will be vetted as the process plays out.

“It's true that if 1,000 spots fell out of the sky today, people would use it,” he said. “But it's also true that we cannot build ourselves out of a parking problem. Even if 1,000 spots arrived, that's 1,000 more cars crossing bridges into downtown and adding to our congestion problems or conflicting with our alternative transportation goals.”

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