MONROE - The Monroe Common Council will decide at its Feb. 3 meeting whether or not to offer up the city's deteriorating parking ramp.
"We're hanging a for-sale sign," City Administrator Phil Rath said of the idea. "A private development (at the ramp's site) will be much cheaper (for the city)."
How long the listing would last and at what price tag would need to be determined, but Mayor Bill Ross told the city's Public Property Committee on Tuesday that "This is the year to get something done."
Despite committee member Jeff Newcomer saying, "This is likely a tough sell," the committee approved a motion to list the property, sending the matter to the Common Council for discussion and a possible vote.
"We have to take some avenue with this," Newcomer added.
The block-long structure runs behind the west side of the downtown Square along 15th Avenue between 10th and 11th streets, with its spots nearest 10th Street uncovered. It features 227 spaces, but many have been deemed unsafe for use.
Ross hopes the prime location could be attractive to developers and rid the city of what has become an ongoing source of expense and indecision.
"If we put the ramp up for sale, and sell it to someone for a dollar, it would be an incentive (for the buyer) to raze the structure," said Ross, adding the city could still have stipulations with the sale in demanding any new structure would match the architecture of other downtown buildings and that a certain number of parking spots would be guaranteed.
Still, residents on hand raised concerns over losing parking spots, including Chris Soukup, who owns eight apartments and properties leased out to eight businesses on the Square's west side.
"If some big retail development comes in, there will not be enough parking for them," he said of his tenants. "And the woman who owns the one business (ABC Yoga) with a rear entrance only said she'd go out of business without the ramp."
Questions on whether the ramp could be salvaged emerged, drawing skepticism from Brooke Bauman, council president.
"This is the first time I've heard of anyone wanting to repair it," she said.
A 2012 estimate provided by an engineering firm to refurbish the ramp came in at $1.6 million.
Investing in the ramp would make sense only if the city established parking restrictions on the Square, such as a two-hour parking limit, said Bob Duxstad, chairman of the Monroe Downtown Business Improvement District. Currently, a vehicle can sit and stay for 48 hours.
"Right now, there's not enough demand to justify a parking ramp," Duxstad said.
An ad hoc committee was created to study the ramp issue last year, but it lost two members and has not reported back to the city by its Jan. 1 deadline, Bauman said.
"We've been at a standstill for months and months," she said.
Ross suggested the city and other entities could continue to explore other solutions, but he wanted a possible sale to be in play at the same time.
"I don't want to delay things if there's a buyer out there," he said.
What is agreed is that the city wants no part of knocking down the ramp.
"If you spend $800,000 on that, for example, it sure doesn't mean the land will be worth that much when it's vacant," said Craig Patchin, the economic restructuring committee chairman with Main Street Monroe, in a phone interview.
He also noted any successful development would need to face the business-populated 11th Street for curb appeal. "Otherwise you're creating a dead zone," he said.
Regardless of the outcome, those on hand Tuesday agreed that some type of progress is needed.
"I think all of us as aldermen get asked, "What's going on with the ramp?' and I always say, "I don't know,'" Bauman said. "At least now I can say "We're working on it.'"
"We're hanging a for-sale sign," City Administrator Phil Rath said of the idea. "A private development (at the ramp's site) will be much cheaper (for the city)."
How long the listing would last and at what price tag would need to be determined, but Mayor Bill Ross told the city's Public Property Committee on Tuesday that "This is the year to get something done."
Despite committee member Jeff Newcomer saying, "This is likely a tough sell," the committee approved a motion to list the property, sending the matter to the Common Council for discussion and a possible vote.
"We have to take some avenue with this," Newcomer added.
The block-long structure runs behind the west side of the downtown Square along 15th Avenue between 10th and 11th streets, with its spots nearest 10th Street uncovered. It features 227 spaces, but many have been deemed unsafe for use.
Ross hopes the prime location could be attractive to developers and rid the city of what has become an ongoing source of expense and indecision.
"If we put the ramp up for sale, and sell it to someone for a dollar, it would be an incentive (for the buyer) to raze the structure," said Ross, adding the city could still have stipulations with the sale in demanding any new structure would match the architecture of other downtown buildings and that a certain number of parking spots would be guaranteed.
Still, residents on hand raised concerns over losing parking spots, including Chris Soukup, who owns eight apartments and properties leased out to eight businesses on the Square's west side.
"If some big retail development comes in, there will not be enough parking for them," he said of his tenants. "And the woman who owns the one business (ABC Yoga) with a rear entrance only said she'd go out of business without the ramp."
Questions on whether the ramp could be salvaged emerged, drawing skepticism from Brooke Bauman, council president.
"This is the first time I've heard of anyone wanting to repair it," she said.
A 2012 estimate provided by an engineering firm to refurbish the ramp came in at $1.6 million.
Investing in the ramp would make sense only if the city established parking restrictions on the Square, such as a two-hour parking limit, said Bob Duxstad, chairman of the Monroe Downtown Business Improvement District. Currently, a vehicle can sit and stay for 48 hours.
"Right now, there's not enough demand to justify a parking ramp," Duxstad said.
An ad hoc committee was created to study the ramp issue last year, but it lost two members and has not reported back to the city by its Jan. 1 deadline, Bauman said.
"We've been at a standstill for months and months," she said.
Ross suggested the city and other entities could continue to explore other solutions, but he wanted a possible sale to be in play at the same time.
"I don't want to delay things if there's a buyer out there," he said.
What is agreed is that the city wants no part of knocking down the ramp.
"If you spend $800,000 on that, for example, it sure doesn't mean the land will be worth that much when it's vacant," said Craig Patchin, the economic restructuring committee chairman with Main Street Monroe, in a phone interview.
He also noted any successful development would need to face the business-populated 11th Street for curb appeal. "Otherwise you're creating a dead zone," he said.
Regardless of the outcome, those on hand Tuesday agreed that some type of progress is needed.
"I think all of us as aldermen get asked, "What's going on with the ramp?' and I always say, "I don't know,'" Bauman said. "At least now I can say "We're working on it.'"