The RiverCentre ramp in St. Paul reopened Tuesday after being shut down for six months for emergency repairs.
St. Paul's RiverCentre parking ramp reopens after repairs
The ramp was shut down in May after a chunk of concrete fell on a parked car.
November 15, 2018 at 1:01AM
Officials closed the nearly 50-year-old ramp on Kellogg Boulevard in May after a 3-by-2-foot slab of concrete fell from the ceiling and struck a parked car. No one was hurt.
Crews made repairs and added safety measures that exceeded recommendations, including installing safety netting on "every inch" of ceiling over parking areas, walkways and entrance and exit ramps to guard against loose concrete, Visit St. Paul and the RiverCentre Authority President and CEO Terry Mattson said Wednesday.
The bill, including lost revenue when visitors and contract parkers used other downtown ramps and lots, came to about $2 million. The St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections on Tuesday deemed the ramp structurally sound and safe for use.
The eight-story 1,600-stall ramp was built in 1970. In 2015, city engineers found some structural deficiencies. They also found the ramp's flat design does not allow for adequate floor drainage and that most of its mechanical, electrical and operational systems were in original or poor condition. Officials at that time recommended demolishing the ramp and building a new one by 2020.
Last year, the city unsuccessfully tried to secure $58 million in state funding to pay for a new ramp.
LOCAL FICTION: Featuring stories within stories, she’ll discuss the book at Talking Volumes on Tuesday.
