It was billed as a wonderful public-private partnership that would wrap retail shops around a parking deck. But the deal to build the 317-space addition to the Van Buren parking deck has gone sour, with the parties involved in the private side of the partnership suing each other. In court Tuesday, a lawyer for one of the parties said the dispute threatens to shut the project down, The Sun reports Wednesday.
Maybe this will all work out and there will be no delays to the project. Then again, maybe not.
What impact do you think the lawsuits will have on construction? How important is it to you that the Van Buren deck addition be completed on time? What do you think of the downtown parking situation? And given these developments, what should Naperville's approach to public-private partnerships be in the future?
Ted, I can attest to the fact that your systems were having database errors when people were trying to post comments. I received some this morning and knew it meant that the system did not get them properly. After waiting an hour, they cleared up and I was able to post again.
It's tough being a one-manned band and I think you're doing a great job.
Ted,
Why was that post that was just a little critical of a reporter deleted? Could you explain?
You have personally taken tons of heat the last year and came out like a champ with much respect on these blogs?
Maybe a little contructive criticism could make a reporter come out like a champ one day, too!
Response from Ted:
I don't know what you're talking about. I have published virtually every comment lately--I haven't deleted any. We've had technical difficulties the last day or so. Bear with us. I mean, bear with me. (I've got to learn to stop talking in the second person, now that I'm flying solo.)
There is no parking whatsoever for us who actually WORK in downtown Naperville and do not have time to leisurely drive around looking for spots competing with soccer moms and teens off for the summer. I hope this goes thru!!
Thoughts on Downtown Parking
At the pool the other day, I noticed that the kid next to me had huge bruises on their legs and arms (maybe on their torso but they were wearing a shirt)and a huge gauge on their ankle.
When I asked them what happened, they said that they were run over in the cross walk at Eagle and Jefferson in the middle of the day on their bicycle. Actually, they got a ride on the hood which may have saved them from being crushed.
This is the location that the restaurant owners want for their valet parking deck at the Library. Will the valets and two martini crowd be safer drivers than today?
Parking decks (aka commercial interests) should not place our kids in jeopardy.
Parking spaces can always be found within a couple of blocks of the downtown in less than five minutes. Parking today is adequate for today.
Will the spaces for the Van Buren development be more than the new building requires? If yes, it will be a first. Every project in the downtown seems to dig a deeper parking hole to get out of. The spaces won't be needed until the building is occupied, so the suites will have no effect.
The future of the partnerships should be that developers pay for their own parking spaces even if it is the city that builds and operates the parking lots.