If City Hall’s plan for enticing developers to rehabilitate the Statler by building an 11-floor parking garage then public policy has not evolved here since the 1950’s. Well, we all know it hasn’t but I still find it hard to believe that anyone so involved in urban development like a mayor’s office of a mid-major city would actually think such a thing.

The Statler did not fail due to a lack of parking, it failed due to epic and repeated mismanagement, with each owner treating it worse than the last. Had any developer bought this building in the early 2000’s and recieved basic public financing for its historic and cultural importance, as well as for asbestos abatement, it could have easily realistically been converted into Class-A office space and apartments. Heck, even two different national hotels were ready to sign on in the last two years had the building been in better shape.

The proposed structure on S. Elmwood has been specifically sited as a key spot for a new parking garage in City-funded parking studies and Mark Croce seems to be very well acquainted at City Hall so it seems more like Brown is using the Statler for persuasive rhetoric more than out of genuine desperation to save the building.

I’m certainly all for this project if office space is indeed constructed and if the 1st floor is one that engages itself with the neighborhood by having ample retail space. I’m just not buying the “we need this to redevelop the Statler” shtick. I just hope the building looks sharp in what is the most prominent part of downtown.

Just to get a clearer idea of just how big this parking garage is-even without the additional four floors of office space, this structure would be slightly shorter than the new Federal Courthouse and with the office space on top, would be the tallest building constructed downtown since the Key Towers in 1990.

If this project goes through, no one is ever, EVER allowed to complain about finding parking downtown. Not even in regards to convenient parking. 11 floors of parking, one lot, right in the middle of the CBD. Commuters rejoice.