The Jefferson City Council shut down a proposal to purchase land for a second downtown parking garage Monday night.
In an 8-1-1 vote, the outgoing City Council voted down a resolution that would have authorized the $938,000 purchase of two lots of land in the 100 block of West McCarty Street.
The proposal would have had the city purchase two properties for the project: one, owned by Jefferson Street LLC, is currently a parking lot; the other, owned by Central Missouri Realty Company, is a warehouse building next door.
Councilman David Kemna, Ward 1, abstained from the vote; Mike Lester, Ward 2, voted in favor.
Council members largely voted it down over concerns of the price tag. The council will have a work session in the next month to discuss the issue more.
While that $938,000 would have included closing costs, it did not include any work to prepare the properties for construction such as demolishing the warehouse.
Jon Hensley, Ward 5, said he was concerned about the price and location.
For instance, he said, the city owns a parking lot across the street and suggested administration look into developing a parking garage there.
The city has been looking into a second parking garage since a 1999 study by Rich and Associates. Over the years, the study has been updated by the organization and city staff.
Most recently, Rich and Associates updated the study in 2016, and the city did a feasibility study in 2018.
The studies identified a deficit of about 1,484 parking spots in the downtown area with a particular emphasis in the blocks close to the Capitol.
The feasibility study identified the lots in discussion as a prime spot for development.
Council members also voiced concern whether it's the right time to build a new parking garage and whether there might be other ways to address parking in the area.