City RDA to buy Parker’s Repair for more library parking
By Correne Martin
The redevelopment authority (RDA) for the city of Prairie du Chien met prior to the council meeting Tuesday night and approved, after closed session, an offer to purchase property at 128 S. Beaumont Rd., commonly known as Parker’s Repair, for the purpose of creating a municipal parking lot serving the needs of the Prairie du Chien Public Library.
The $95,700 offer, of which one-half of the payment will occur in 2015 and the other half in 2016, is contingent on all environmental issues involving the property being satisfied to the requirements of the RDA. City staff have also been directed to begin a blight determination for the property.
According to Dave Parker, who has run his repair shop there since 1983, one of the gas pumps that was located in front of the facility years ago leaked. He said any problems associated with that have been remediated, but that has to be confirmed by state officials prior to finalizing the sale.
Parker isn’t sure of his future plans at this time. However, the agreement allows for his business to remain in existence at 128 S. Beaumont Rd. through the summer of 2016 or perhaps into 2017. He and his employees plan to stay working through that time, at least.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Parker said Wednesday morning. “Maybe I’ll build or relocate. Maybe I’ll do something else. I’m not sure. I’m just happy to be able to help out the city. They need the space.”
“It’s nice that he won’t have to rush out,” City Administrator Aaron Kramer added. “We’re very appreciative of his cooperation.”
Kramer also noted that, during the capital campaign feasibility study for the library expansion project, one of the frequent questions that came up from potential donors was how additional parking is going to be handled for the expected increase in patronage. This acquisition will solve that, as a 28-space lot will be created upon the RDA’s purchase of the property. Once the appropriately named Parker Parking Lot is built, it will be leased to the public library for 50 years.
“No additional public tax dollars will be spent on this,” Kramer assured the public. “This will also add nothing to what needs to be raised under the library’s capital campaign.”
