Update, Dec. 30: Neely Engineering conducted structural evaluations and load testing of the parking garage at double the minimum code required live load rating for 24 hours, according to a city news release. The results indicated the garage is safe for continued use. The results were reviewed by K&S Engineering, which agreed with Neely’s findings.
Minor repairs to preserve and restore the garage were addressed during the closure, such as repairing spalling concrete, broken cable rails and crack sealing above the garage’s columns, the release said.
Previously:
CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Clarksville’s main downtown parking garage is set to reopen for use Thursday morning, according to city spokesperson Linda Gerron.
The Cumberland Plaza parking garage at Second and Commerce Streets was closed in July after a routine inspection uncovered possible structural issues.
An inspection by TRC Worldwide Engineering revealed cracks in the concrete slabs at the columns on top of the slab and cracking on the bottom of the slab at the mid-span in both directions.
Clarksville Now has reached out to the city for further details on the repairs.
Gerron told Clarksville Now the garage will open “first thing in the morning.”
New parking garage moves forward
The city continues to chalk out intentions for an additional downtown garage. According to City Project Manager John Hillborn, the new garage will be a joint city and county project, although planning is still ongoing.
Hillborn told Clarksville Now the city hopes to send out requests for proposals for a new garage in the next 60 days, after which they will be able to select a vendor.
Parking garages are expensive projects, according to city officials. At a recent Economic Development Council meeting, EDC CEO Buck Dellinger estimated a 600-space garage would cost $18 million.
A location for the garage has not been determined.
Correction: Repairs to the garage were cosmetic, not structural. The article has been updated.