Paterson Parking Authority gets almost $6 million state tax credits to rehabilitate Blue Garage
By Jayed Rahman
Published: November 14, 2019
The Paterson Parking Authority received approval for $5.89 million in state tax credits on Thursday morning to rehabilitate the Blue Garage on Van Houten Street, across the street from the Frank X. Graves Public Safety Complex.
Funds represent 40-percent of the $12.47 million total cost of the project, according to New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) documents. Funds will be disbursed over a 10-year period under the Mixed-Use Parking Economic Redevelopment and Growth (ERG) Program.
Project includes extensive rehabilitation of the 40-year-old garage at 125 Van Houten Street that’s near the end of its useful life, said Tony Perez, director of the Paterson Parking Authority, on Thursday afternoon.
Foundation of the structure needs to be reinforced, according to documents. Perez said beams, concrete, façade, and elevator have to be replaced to extend the life of the 431-space garage for another 40 years.
Perez said construction won’t start until Apr. 2021. He said the obsolete Ward Street garage construction has to finish before the Blue Garage work begins. A lot of customers displaced from the Ward Street garage will use the Blue Garage, he said.
Paterson Parking Authority is also leasing a 240-spot newly surfaced parking lot from developer Anthony LoConte and Straight & Narrow on the corner of Essex and Straight Street to accommodate customers of the Ward Street garage.
Perez said jurors will park at the surface lot. He said the three lots that make up the surface lot is being leased for $6,000 per month. Underground parking at the Center City Mall, which is used by shoppers, is not used by jurors, he said.
Besides rehabilitating the parking component at the Blue Garage, the Paterson Parking Authority will rehabilitate 2,500 square feet of existing commercial space, according to records.
The Blue Garage project has an anticipated completion date of Apr. 2022. The state requires the completion of the project before Jul. 2022.
75 temporary construction jobs will be created when construction starts to rehabilitate the Blue Garage, according to state documents.
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