In the aerial photo above it is obvious that the Executive Inn parking garage is roughly twice as wide as the Executive Inn itself. So if a parking garage is 120 feet wide yet there is only 50 feet of footprint available how does one put a parking garage where the hotel was? We shall see.
We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the proposals to build a new Downtown Convention Hotel. It recently came to our attention that the proposals are all three instructed to consider the location where the Executive Inn parking lot currently stands. That seems like a reasonable location for a new hotel.
The question then comes up about just where will the approximately 400 parking spaces that the current garage has provided for the Executive Inn for many years will be located? In a recent debate one of the candidates suggested that the replacement parking garage could be located where the remainder of the Executive Inn currently sits. That is also a reasonable assumption. Being curious of nature we did a little research into the feasibility of laying out a parking garage on that site and were shocked to discover that there is not enough width available to put a traditional parking garage onto the remaining lot of the Executive Inn without infringing onto the new Arena.
Thus the question, how wide is a parking garage? becomes relevant. The basic answer is that the width is four parking places, two traffic lanes, and one turning radius wide. The answer to that question is about 120 – 125 feet depending on the size of vehicles that one wishes to accommodate. The next question then becomes, how wide is the Executive Inn? The answer is two rooms and a hallway or about 50 feet. Fifty (50) feet is not wide enough to accommodate a traditional parking garage. We have looked at every single parking garage in downtown Evansville and several other towns and they are all about 120 feet wide at their narrowest point. None of them are narrow enough to fit where the Executive Inn currently sits. We have another Executive Inn Dilemma to deal with.
The riddle of the day is, how do you put a 120 foot wide parking garage onto a 50 foot wide foundation? The answer is of course that you don’t. There are some things to consider that may just bail this problem out. Among them are the following.
1. Buy an adjacent lot to put the parking garage on and make the Executive Inn lot a loading dock. That would cause the City of Evansville to need to buy the lot with money that was not budgeted. How much?? Ask the owners of D-Patrick. They will gladly tell us how much.
2. Use the space above Walnut Street for parking with an entry where the entrance to the Executive Inn currently is. It is a more expensive solution than a traditional parking garage and will complicate the architectural task of integrating a new hotel to a parking garage with a structural overpass. There is potential for butt ugly here so the architects had better have their Tom Terrific thinking caps on.
3. Use an elevator type of auto lift like large cities use. These are very costly and slow but are the most space efficient parking structures available. This is impractical and expensive, but it is possible
4. Put the new hotel where the old one is and a new parking garage where the old one is. This is very practical and doable but it would require restarting the clock and eating a little crow on the part of whomever is planning this project. We wonder why the obvious solution was discarded on this dilemma.
There it is. We have another Executive Inn Dilemma and four ways out. The least expensive and most practical solution is the only one that is not possible unless the current course of action is changed.
It is a plus that the $18 Million that the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau was planning to spend on 8 ball fields is now available for other projects that assist in promoting tourism. The City of Evansville should not even consider any new capital projects until the Executive Inn Dilemma is completely solved. That solution must include a new Downtown Convention Hotel, replacement parking spaces, a loading dock, and a walk bridge to the Centre. Hopefully sometime in 2013 we will be cutting the ribbon to a complete solution to the Executive Inn Dilemma.
Solution #5: Have the hotel provide $18 a day valet parking typical in other “big cities,” and let the valets drive around downtown Evansville in search of an available parking space from among the 7,000 spaces alleged by the arena consultants to exist. Then the valets can hike back to the hotel, and periodically go move the vehicles about to avoid parking tickets sufficiently to make a profit on the $18 dollar a day valet charge.
Solution #6: Have the hotel guests drop off their luggage with a bell hop, and then go drive around scenic downtown Evansville in search of a parking place from among the ample inventory portrayed by the arena consultants … and take a healthy hike up to 12 blocks back to the hotel, as also suggested for arena patrons. The patrons could then periodically move their cars to avoid parking tickets or absorb that cost in leiu of valet parking.
Solution #7: Pull a Mitchie and lease the “back 40” behind the civic center to a German Company, have them build a complex of parking garages, and let them charge daily, weekly and monthly rates to recoup their investment.
Solution #8: Install a anti-gravity tractor beam in Starship Jonathan and suspend hotel guests and arena customers’ automobiles in mid-air above and around that shining silver fuselage.
Wherever they build the new parking garage, I hope its design is congruent with the new traditional architectual model they’ve established for downtown Evansville … say something on the order of a towering twin silo tin can intergalactic fueling station.
rumor has it that Deaconess, formerly Welborn, clinic has been sold and the Doctors who own it are doing a happy dance. Most anticipate moving th Gateway before the end of the year.
You guys are thinking like this is a private enterprise… Sometimes government solutions are blunt and “outside the box” in the traditional “legal” sense.
Keep in mind, these jokers entertained declaring the entire city blighted just to get a federal kick back on interest expense. And they schemed up a TIF to supposedly “pay” for this thing!
Solution #9.) Who says Walnut Street won’t just deadhead right into “the john”?
You can’t assume this centerpiece of Johnny’s dream will jump through hoops just to maintain the traditional old idea of driving that section of Walnut in the future.
Hell, the whole direction of main street is being re-routed to take visitors to “the john”… Obviously historical driving patterns are simply scratched at bureaucratic whim anyway.
Is it true that maybe you don’t have a clue as to what is possible because you like so many, are only looking at the obvious and not the truely creative? Is it true that you continue to be a part of the problem and not a part of the solution? We must have a hotel or we are all up a **** creek without a paddle in regards to marketing Evansville. You have to support what is necessary NOW not complain about what you cannot change. You attempt to appear progressive but what you are is regressive.
If you were reading closely we actually suggested the possibility of spanning Walnut with a parking garage. If you had read last month you would be aware that we favor a 4 Star Hotel in Downtown Evansville and even are open to using some of the $18M that was planned for 8 little league ballfields to provide incentives as they may be needed. They were needed in Fort Wayne and will be here as the valuations do not support the construction price. We are for good public policy. Getting blindsided due to lack of planning is not good public policy. We will continue to expose poor public policy whenever we learn about it. If you have a truly creative idea like spanning Walnut we will be more than happy to publish it. Thank you for reading the City County Observer.
i am pleasantly surprised that you had a pleasant and professional response. I would be happy to talk to you about “ideas” or realities. Perhaps you could send contact info for Mole #412.
I do not know who the Moles are. If you email us your ideas and realities or even meet with us personally we would be delighted to get your ideas where they can be seen.
meet??? where??? When???
I will send you a private email with contact info.
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