Business & Tech
Parking Garage on First Street Opens for Commuters, Shoppers
Mayor officiates ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A new parking garage is now open for customer and commuter parking in downtown Elmhurst, at 175 W. First Street.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 8, Mayor Pete DiCianni, surrounded by city officials and members of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce, hailed the opening as a "huge step" towards meeting the needs of commuters who regularly use the Metra and need all-day parking. It's also instrumental in keeping customers happy who want safe, convenient parking near the City Centre, he said.
"Parking is key," DiCianni said. "If customers can't find parking, they might go somewhere else. (The parking garage) is good for the city, and it saves money in the long run."
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
The four-story structure was built by ARCO/Murray National Construction Company and has 253 parking stalls.
The parking garage not only impacts the commercial downtown area, but also means changes for the south end of Larch Avenue, a residential street that, until recently, intersected with First Street.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
Susan Szymanski, a homeowner on Larch, lives just a few doors from the new parking structure. Szymanski admits that she "wasn't thrilled" when she initially heard of the plans for the parking garage, even though she was well aware that her home was close to commercially zoned property.
"The builders and the city were extremely empathetic to (the neighborhood's) situation," she said. "They really listened to our concerns and what our needs were."
To avoid increased traffic on the residential block adjacent to the structure, the city has closed off the south end of Larch and made it into a cul-de-sac, something that eases the mind of Szymanski and other neighbors who have young children. Other features, like landscaping, sidewalks and special lighting on the building were done with the neighborhood in mind.
"I think they did a nice job," says Szymanski. "We were able to come up with something we can all live with."
Mayor DiCianni said plans are in the works for another parking garage on Addison Avenue.
