The years-long battle over a downtown Santa Rosa parking garage has taken a surprising turn as the city considers two new offers for the property.
According to the Press Democrat, Santa Rosa city officials are reviewing unsolicited bids for Garage 5 on Third Street. One proposal comes from Airport Business Center, the neighboring property owner that previously spent years in court trying to block the city from selling the structure. After losing that legal battle, the company now says it wants to work with the city to preserve the existing parking while adding new housing to the site.
The second bid comes from the Grupe Company, a Stockton-based developer. These new offers follow a failed negotiation with a previous developer that stalled amid rising interest rates and the aforementioned litigation.
City Council members are scheduled to meet in a closed session on January 27th to discuss the terms and price of the potential deals. The aging garage, built in 1965, is estimated to need over 3 million dollars in repairs—a cost city leaders hope to offset by transforming the site into a residential hub.