Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2015-2019 Page: 46
iv, 96 p. : ill.View a full description of this book.
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Market-Based Parking Initiative
The parking situation for our downtown Austin headquarters is rapidly
approaching a crisis point. Thanks to Texas' booming economy, Austin Parking Costs
is experiencing record growth, and downtown is in a constant state of
development. Many parking lots and garages in the area are now or will __0
soon become hotels, condo towers, and new offices. At the same time
this influx of new residents and businesses is happening, city govern- $160
ment has eliminated over 200 downtown municipal parking spaces
(both paid and free) within a few city blocks of our headquarters. This -
was done in the past year to make room for additional public trans- $14
portation high-occupancy lanes. During the same time period, Travis 2014,
County chose not to renew our contract for their county-owned garage, $120 $162
which we relied on for 61 parking spaces. These twin pressures of
increased demand and disappearing parking options are placing $100
greater strain on our resources and our employees' job satisfaction. $0
TDLR's surface lot, adjacent to the E. 0. Thompson Building, is sorely
inadequate for our current needs, with only 55 parking spaces for 189 $60
downtown employees. Due to the lack of space on the surface lot and
the shrinking pool of surrounding meter and street parking, we have $40 2U0,
been forced to spend money leasing nearby parking space, at ever- S75
increasing costs due to the premium now placed on parking in down- $20
town Austin. For example, in 2005, TDLR paid an average of $75 per
leased parking space; in 2014, the average cost has soared to $162 per $o
leased parking space (see chart). In all, we have spent over $1.2 million Avg. Price Per Parking Space
purchasing additional parking spaces since November 2005. 1 1 0
TDLR's executive leadership believes it is imperative that we pursue a market-based solution to this problem. The
solution could include working closely with the Texas Facilities Commission to explore a public-private partnership
for the development of a multi-level parking garage on the site of our current surface lot. This process would include
coordinating with the budget oversight committees in the House and the Senate to explore the advantages tha: could
be gained by eliminating the appropriations drain due to parking costs, and identifying the cost-savings that could result
from this initiative.
By seeking a private partner to build and develop the site, TDLR would gain additional parking spaces, eliminate our
monthly parking expenditures, and have the added benefit of being able to charge for sub-leasing spaces when not in
use by our employees. This new multi-story parking garage could potentially have additioral office space equivalent
in size to our current space and could also include ground-floor retail space. This concept would generate revenue for
the state at a time when state agency budgets will continue to shrink. TDLR believes this approach makes sense given
our current and future needs, and could serve as model for other agencies to follow who are experiencing similar space
and fiscal limitations.
46 SmaHer Smatter Government
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Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2015-2019, book, 2014-22~; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth639698/m1/54/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.