PRESENTER: Presenter
Scott McClelland, Assistant Transportation and Capital Improvements Director
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SUBJECT: Title
Approval of a contract modification with Pape-Dawson Engineers, LLC. for final plans, specifications, and estimates for the reconfiguration of the West Coll Street/South Castell Avenue parking lot.
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation and Capital Improvements and Economic and Community Development
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 5
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
There are two public parking lots on South Castell Avenue across from the Civic/Convention Center. The City of New Braunfels owns the parking lot at 350 South Castell Avenue. It is primarily used by attendees of events at the Civic/Convention Center, employees who work at 424 South Castell Avenue, and Downtown visitors. The parking lot at the corner of West Coll Street & South Castell Avenue was the former site of Chase Bank and was purchased by the New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation (“NBEDC”) in 2016. The 2011 Downtown Parking Plan identified this parking lot as a short or medium-term parking solution. This corner lot was paved as a separate lot from the adjacent one and is currently used for overflow attendees at the Civic/Convention Center, local businesses, and Downtown visitors. The Civic/Convention Center averages 700 events per calendar year, and parking demands have increased in this area of Downtown.
The City issued a contract to Pape-Dawson Engineers for South Castell parking improvements in 2023. Staff is requesting to modify this contract to support the final plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) proposal, dated April 15, 2025, addressing the reconfiguration of these two lots to streamline access and usage, and to adjoin them, with the potential to increase the capacity by an additional 63 spaces. Total cost for this modification is $106,825 making the total contract value $119,060.
Most of the individuals parking in these two lots attend events at the Civic/Convention Center, therefore, it is recommended that the funding for this project be derived from Hotel/Motel Occupancy Taxes.
ISSUE:
There is a growing need for more parking capacity in Downtown New Braunfels, primarily to support the growth of the Civic/Convention Center. The existing parking lots on South Castell Avenue provide parking for events at the Civic/Convention Center; however, each lot is structured inefficiently. The final PS&E proposal provides an outline of a project to adjoin these lots, streamline their use, and add up to 63 parking spaces.
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
☒Economic Mobility ☐Enhanced Connectivity ☐Community Identity
☐Organizational Excellence ☒Community Well-Being ☐N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost for the contract modification for the final PS&E stage is $106,825. Funding for this project will be derived from the Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax Fund, therefore sufficient funds are available.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this funding request.