Construction crews will begin revitalizing a parking garage in downtown Salem on April 6.

The $6.2 million project to improve the Marion Parkade, at 538 Liberty St. N.E., is expected to finish in November.

“These updates aim to create a more welcoming and safer environment for everyone who uses the facility,” city officials stated. “The project will reduce facility maintenance costs, enhance the structure’s openness and encourage increased use, especially during evening hours.”

Luke Gmazel, Salem’s project manager for the Marion Parkade improvement project, said the construction will be sequenced to maintain partial access and use.

This project is funded by Riverfront-Downtown urban renewal funds.

The parking garage is one of three that opened in the 1980s to spur downtown development. Combined, the Marion, Chemeketa and Liberty parkades have 868 free parking spaces for visitors and customers. The Marion Parkade is near Kohl’s, Salem Center mall, several churches and Salem Police headquarters.

The project will support growth in downtown Salem, according to the city, by improving infrastructure that serves residents, visitors and businesses while prioritizing safety and accessibility.

As part of the project, the stairs will be replaced, and the surrounding walls will be removed to allow users to see who is entering and exiting the building. New overhead roof structures will provide weather protection and highlight the entrances. Lighting will be upgraded to encourage nighttime use, and new signage and architectural features will be added to improve the building’s aesthetics.

Walls on the ground floor that block visibility will be replaced with perforated metal panels.

Construction will be completed in phases, with focus on one corner at a time to allow parts of the parking structure to remain open for public use.

Permit parking and ADA accessible parking will still be available, but locations may be adjusted during construction. Drivers are asked to look for signage indicating the location of designated permit parking spaces.

Visitor parking and sky-bridge access to Salem Center will remain open throughout construction.

Limited night work is expected during the project to accommodate lane closures required by the city. The scheduled closures will be between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. and occur on High Street (May 26 through June 1) and Liberty Street (Sept. 14-18).

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Statesman Journal and then was distributed on the USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.

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