The City of Meridian requested a parking garage to be constructed on a block in the center of the historic Downtown, to serve commercial tenants and visitors to the newly developed Arts District. As a part of the project, marketing and feasibility studies determined the number of parking spaces needed. An important design goal was to make the garage fit in with and strengthen the historical appearance of the Arts District, while encouraging and supporting pedestrian traffic. The completed garage was intended to replace blighted buildings on the site and be a prominent and encouraging sign of the successful development of the Arts District.

The site, a downtown block bounded by 23rd and 24th Avenue and 7th and 8th Street, is shared by the new garage and existing BellSouth operations buildings. Demolition of four commercial structures on the Garage site included extensive excavation to remove subsurface foundations, utilities and hazardous waste. The tight urban site presented challenges for the demolition and construction, including maintaining traffic, controlling dust and dirt, limiting access to the site, and maintaining access to the BellSouth facility for its ongoing operations.

The design of the garage incorporates a reinforced concrete frame on auger-cast pilings, with post-tensioned concrete decks laid out in a single helix with 2-way traffic. The three public facades are a combination of two patterns of brick, cast stone and precast concrete in a honed limestone appearance. These major elements are organized into vertically oriented bays, to emulate the rhythms and appearance of traditional individual building fronts with traditional pilaster, arch, sill and cornice details.

Two elevators and a stair serve the facility on the southeast corner, and a stair and future elevator are located opposite, on the northwest corner. The ground floor includes 5,900 square feet of future retail space, complete with sidewalk awnings, three entrances, and glass, cast stone and brick storefronts.The parking deck above the retail space has been integrally waterproofed with a concrete additive. The main pedestrian entry is adjacent to the retail, defined with the elevator/stair tower and a landscaped plaza between the garage and the adjoining BellSouth building. All three street facades feature tree wells and planters, brick and concrete sidewalks, custom designed banners and accent lighting on the building face, to reinforce the pedestrian friendly atmosphere.

MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS
DIV 04: Brick: Boral.
DIV 07: Built-Up: Johns Manville; Awnings: Awnings Unlimited.
DIV 08: Entrances & Storefronts: Vistawall.
DIV 09: Special Flooring: Sonneborn, Dex-O-Tex.
DIV 16: Lighting: WideLite®, Kim, Luminaire, Columbia.