UTICA, N.Y. — Utica’s Urban Renewal Agency has unanimously approved the sale of the city’s Kennedy Parking Garage to Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) for $1.5 million.
The city’s common council needs to approve the deal before the sale is finalized. If that happens, the garage will become part of MVHS’s downtown Wynn Hospital campus.
“This is an exciting day for Utica’s continued transformation,” Mayor Robert M. Palmieri said in a news release. “The selling of Kennedy Garage is a win-win for our entire community. The sale will facilitate the operations of this crucial downtown district while also saving money [for] taxpayers. The partnership between the city of Utica and MVHS will remain strong, and the Wynn Hospital will be an invaluable asset to our shared future.”
Constructed in 1969, Kennedy Garage has 595 total parking spaces including the deck, but only utilizes about 100 currently. The city’s most-recent cost estimate to repair the structure is more than $13 million. Coupled with the $1.5 million purchase offer, the sale would yield a nearly $15 million benefit to the city.
Previously, private developers sought to purchase the garage, but the sale was never finalized.