It will replace the 90 parking spaces that were there before the lot closed Sunday night. The project could be completed as early as December if weather is favorable, town officials said. Talk of a parking garage began in 1973 as plans developed for Boltwood Walk, the federally funded urban renewal project under the aegis of the Redevelopment Authority. Successive town committees and Town Meetings examined the need for a garage and where to put one. Debate has almost always been lengthy and often acrimonious.
Some lawsuits are still pending.
Ultimately, in 1997, town officials agreed to focus on the Boltwood Walk site. Town Meeting rejected the building committee's three story design for 292 spaces and compromised on a smaller building partially underground with the capacity to add a second-floor deck if deemed necessary in the future.