Politics & Government

Memorial Hall Parking Garage Gets the Green Light

After more than a decade of plans, studies, and discussion, a parking garage behind Memorial Hall is finally in the works.

The Plymouth Growth and Development Coorporation will spend $360,000 on preliminary designs of a parking garage behind Memorial Hall, with the help of GATRA and the town.

Selectmen approved the plan at Tuesday's meeting. Town Meeting will have to approve spending $30,000 on the design. GATRA will pay 80 percent, or $288,000. The remaining $30,000 will be paid by the PDGC.

The entire project would cost $10.3 million, according to the proposal by GATRA. Here's the breakdown:

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  • $4.0 million projected from federal funds
  • $2.0 million Earmark in State Bond Bill
  • $150,000 parking fund
  • $4.15 million to be financed by PGDC

The Memorial Hall site was chosen over a site behind the 1820 Courthouse, called the "Courthouse Corridor" because of its better amenities for GATRA, its proximity to Memorial Hall, the Waterfront, and the existing Visitors Center.

John Burke, Project Manager for the garage, said the garage will be a "multi-modal center," meaning it will have a transit center for the local GATRA bus and a visitors center.

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The preliminary design will be ready for spring town meeting, but it will be expensive. Town Manager Melissa Arrighi explains how this will be funded:

The parking garage would add about 200 spaces—that’s about a third of the 600 spaces estimated to be needed at the height of the tourism season.


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