A two-story high banner appeared over the weekend on the side of the village-owned parking garage at Lake Street and Forest Avenue, announcing that Aug. 4 is the last day the garage will be open to the public.
Village Manager Cara Pavlicek said in a telephone interview Monday that the closure of the garage is among the first steps necessary to make way for the long-awaited 21-story mixed-use Lake and Forest real estate development. The project will include a new, enclosed parking garage.
Pavlicek said ownership of the land beneath the village-owned garage will transfer to development firm Golub & Co. in late September or early October. The demolition of the parking garage is expected to take place in early October, she said.
Following the garage’s closure in early August, the village will salvage usable equipment, such as pay stations and light fixtures, Pavlicek said.
“There’s a sign at the garage (informing parkers of the closure), so people can’t miss it,” Pavlicek said.
She said there is “more than enough capacity” to accommodate displaced parkers at the Holley Court Garage, 1125 Ontario St., and The Avenue Parking Garage, 720 North Blvd.
Pavlicek said the developer is practically done with the permitting process for the 270-glass and steel apartment building with ground-level retail. The adjacent parking garage that will be built as part of the development will contain 588 parking spaces shared between the public and building tenants.
The village is contributing $9 million to the project, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2015.
