City hall's parking garage helps downtown business.

AuthorTubergen, Nathan R.
PositionCity of Billings, Montana

Each year, the City of Billings City Council adopts for itself and city staff a set of goals and objectives for the coming fiscal year. The first and foremost goal adopted by the city council in June of 1988 was to promote economic development. This goal included the use of community development tax increment allocations within an existing tax increment district to support new and expanded business. Several tax increment revolving loans were granted to existing businesses that chose to revamp or relocate their businesses downtown. The tax increment district had been created in 1976, along with a downtown redevelopment plan. The plan, establishing long-range objectives and generalized development schemes, addressed issues relating to building conditions, land use, growth, traffic and circulation, and the need for additional parking.

The four principle objectives of the redevelopment effort are:

* elimination of blight within the district;

* provision of public improvements;

* maintenance of downtown viability; and

* leverage of public investment dollars through private enterprises resulting in increased assessments within the district.

City Needs and Business Needs

The council also took the first step in 1988 toward making a new parking garage with city office space a reality. This facility, when completed, would provide approximately 300 new downtown parking spaces and 10,00 square feet of additional office space for city agencies. The one-half block site for the facility is located immediately south of the existing city hall.

A contract with a local architectural firm for the design documents and for carrying the project through the construction phase was signed in August 1989. The design was to be based, in part, on the recommendation of a space utilization study addressing the overcrowding in city hall, most notably in the Police Department, and the existing deficiencies, such as a lack of conference space.

The study utilized the following rating schedule:

8-Severely overcrowded and in desperate need for additional space immediately.

7-Severely overcrowded with department fragmented; need additional space and reorganization.

6-Overcrowded with department fragmented; need additional space and reorganization.

5-Overcrowded; need additional space for present operation.

4-Need additional space for present operations; however, can get by for two to three years.

3-Adequate space at present with reorganization; no room for growth beyond five...

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