The Altoona Parking Authority is looking into potential safety hazards at its parking garage downtown, mainly about the elevator and stairway.
Speaking at the authority's meeting on Tuesday, members discussed a recent visit by an inspector, who found new issues at the 11th Avenue garage. The city was already aware of some lights not working and water pump issues, but now they've found water getting into the elevator shaft.
“(With) the electrical in the elevator, that’s just a safety issue," said Jessica Bilko, a senior manager with SP Plus Metropolis, a parking management company hired by the city back in March. "So we have to drain the water out constantly. The structure is fine. The stairs are cracking a little, and we need to get that structure fixed.”
Bilko said the structure could become unsafe if water continues to leech into the ground underneath the elevator. Now, the parking authority is looking to bring in a structural engineer to get a better idea of what work needs done.
Sherri McGregor, who chairs the Altoona Parking Authority, said this is the first they've heard of the problem.
"We just need clarification on whether that is anything that is concerning about the garage or whether that maybe is just something that can be fixed," McGregor said. "We have to dig a little bit deeper."
McGregor said there were already plans to have a complete audit of the parking garage this year, but they'll now push to have it sooner.
The 11th Avenue parking garage is the only public one available downtown. The one next to the Gable’s building has been out of commission for several years. That garage is privately owned and not managed by the city’s parking authority.
