EASTON, Pa. — Northampton County officials introduced a plan Thursday to borrow $35 million to replace the aging parking garage at the county courthouse.
The proposal first will need to win the approval of a majority of the County Council, which rejected a larger, more expensive plan in November.
County officials have long contended that the existing parking garage is in poor condition and poses a risk to people and cars parking there.Northampton County Council
Demolishing and replacing the aging parking garage at 669 Washington St., Easton, would cost $18 million-$21 million, County Executive Lamont McClure said Thursday.
A proposed bond to pay for it also would cover administrative costs associated with borrowing the money, upgrades to first responder radio systems and buying energy-efficient heating systems and other improvements the county currently leases.
Any remaining funds could be used for unspecified public safety improvements, renovations to the county jail or virtually any other capital projects.
County officials have long contended that the existing parking garage is in poor condition and poses a risk to people and cars parking there.
A previous plan to replace it, calling for a new garage and an attached three-story office building funded through a $64 million bond, failed late last year in a 5-4 vote of county council.
'Work in good faith'
McClure credits Councilman Jeff Corpora with the compromise plan to demolish and replace the courthouse parking structure — without building an attached office building — at a much lower cost.
“Just reading the room and listening to the comments being made, you can almost sense there was a consensus for the garage, the hold up was the building and the extra money.”Jeff Corpora
When the council voted against the project last year, “Just reading the room and listening to the comments being made, you can almost sense there was a consensus for the garage,” Corpora said.
“The holdup was the building and the extra money.”
About a week later, Corpora told the county executive that he — and therefore a majority of council — would support a smaller bond to fund the new garage.
With his previous proposal dead in the water, McClure said it made sense to pursue a compromise.
“In addition to being an important infrastructure project for the county, it is a safety issue, and I just can't abide not trying to do everything I possibly can to have that parking structure razed and then rebuilt,” McClure said.
“I have to work in good faith with the governing body.”
Council will hold a public hearing on the proposal during its Jan. 23 meeting.
