Glendale Hires Architect to Design Parking Garage
After four unsuccessful attempts, the Glendale Redevelopment Agency has selected an architect to design a downtown parking garage.
Feola/Deenihan Partnership of Glendale emerged the winner Tuesday among eight firms competing to draw up plans for the 750-space structure, to be built on Maryland Avenue between Broadway and Wilson Avenue.
The 3-1 vote ended six weeks of indecision. Staff members in December recommended that the agency hire International Parking Design, a specialist in combining retail stores in garages, “on the basis of their excellent and extensive experience.” But agency members said they wanted more information about all the firms before making a decision.
3 Earlier Motions
At two subsequent meetings in January, three motions to choose an architect died because only two council members agreed on any one. Agency members asked the staff to narrow the list to four.
The council at first was deadlocked again on Tuesday, when Mayor Jerold Milner and Councilwoman Ginger Bremberg voted to hire Glendale architect Charles Walton in partnership with Conrad Associates. Councilman Carl Raggio also had supported Walton earlier but was absent Tuesday.
Councilmen John F. Day and Larry Zarian said they supported Feola, who submitted a lower bid than Walton.
After the motion to select Walton ended in a tie vote, Bremberg switched to Feola, saying: “I just want a parking garage.”
Feola/Deenihan, which has offices just a block south of the project, will be paid $218,000 for design and construction plans for the $5.8-million structure.
Paying Cash
City officials last fall agreed to pay cash for the project and hire their own architect in order to speed construction. Such garages traditionally are built by a developer and paid for with bond money--a process that takes far longer. Officials said construction could begin by late summer.
The garage is considered a key to rehabilitating the block along Brand Boulevard.
A $5.5-million renovation of the 60-year-old Security Pacific Bank building at 100 N. Brand Blvd. has just been completed. But it lacks adequate parking, as do other buildings in the area that are also being extensively rebuilt.
