MOUNT VERNON — Structural deficiencies in the municipal parking garage at 5 N. Gay St. prompted Mount Vernon City Council to waive the bid process and approve negotiating a contract with Custom Cutters for emergency stabilization of the building.
“Our structural evaluation has determined significant deficiencies in the structure in terms of safety,” City Engineer Brian Ball said. “We felt it was an immediate necessity to stop all public parking and all private vehicle parking in the garage.”
The city closed the garage on March 18.
Ball said the city has been working with its structural engineers as well as multiple companies to come up with a solution for the problem.
The first option was a temporary jack solution. Ball said the city would have to rent the jacks, and then look at a more permanent solution.
Since the jacks would be there just to support the building if something were to give way and are difficult to attach, Ball said that if somebody bumped into them, the jacks may not stay in place.
“Our selected alternative is structural steel shoring,” Ball said. “We will basically be converting a concrete structure into a steel structure.”
Shoring involves putting steel around the beams and bolting and welding it in place. Only the three floors in the garage will be shored; nothing will be done on the plaza level.
“This will be a systematic approach to the garage, not a spot repair. This will give us assurances of safety,” Ball said, adding that this alternative also provides more parking than using temporary jacks.
“Our structural engineers say this gains 10 to 15, maybe 20, years of life [to the garage].”
Noting that the city cannot afford to build a municipal courthouse, police department, and garage at the same time, Ball said, “We really need to keep the garage functional and focus on getting the new buildings constructed.
“This gets us the majority of life. Once we move the police and court department, then we will do some additional work,” he continued. “This gives us a safe situation where once it is completed we can start using the garage and feel more comfortable being in the building.”
Ball said that if the city decides in the future to tear down the garage, the steel does have value.
“This is something that could be unbolted and repurposed or sold,” he told council.
The estimated cost to shore up the building is $600,000. Council will defer a new salt barn and put the $450,000 toward the parking garage. Additionally, council has $170,000 unappropriated money it can use to cover the cost.
Ball anticipates ordering the steel next week, with work to begin in June. Barring any supply issue problems, he expects the work to take about six months.
Council took additional actions at Monday’s meeting:
•Approved applying for three grants totaling $1.65 million
•Approved supplemental appropriations and fund transfers
•Waived the three readings and authorized the safety-service director to enter into a five-year contract for copier supply and maintenance
•Gave the first reading to legislation appointing Mike Miller to the utilities commission
•Gave the first reading to legislation implementing an employee recognition and workforce development program
•Gave the first reading to an ordinance creating a new chapter (902) in city code titled “Streets.” The chapter will include code relating to accessible pedestrian signals. Additionally, the ordinance moves “Preservation and maintenance of brick streets” from section 311.06 to chapter 902.
Council also held a discussion with refuse haulers on trash collection and recycling.
