Lack of parking has plagued downtown Ann Arbor for decades, but now, even existing parking structures are giving city officials headaches.
Officials from the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority said one of the city's worst culprits is the parking structure on South Forest Avenue, next to Tower Records.
Today, customers will have the opportunity to voice their concerns about tentative renovation plans for the structure.
DDA officials, in cooperation with the Ann Arbor City Council, will hold a public meeting today from 4 to 6 p.m. at Cafe Fino in the Galleria on South University Avenue to discuss the garage's pending repairs.
"(We) have long been aware that there is a shortage of parking in the downtown area," DDA Executive Director Susan Pollay said last week. "We have to make an effort to preserve the structures that we already have."
Pollay said the Forest Street garage is the city's worst structure at this point in time and is at the top of the list for the planned reparations.
"This structure is the one that serves the University population the most," she said. "It also serves the local businesses, such as Tower Records and McDonald's."
Organizers expect the meeting to address which problems need immediate attention, as well as gather suggestions about how to fund the reconstruction.
Pollay said potential funding options being considered are a rise in city taxes or an increase in citywide parking fees.
"We definitely encourage the people who use this structure to come to the meeting," Pollay said. "They are the ones who will benefit from its repairs."