Downey approves Civic Center parking overhaul

A public works vehicle is parked at Downey’s Civic Center, where a planned $1.8 million parking overhaul will add 138 spaces and close Civic Center Drive to public traffic. (Photo by Eric Pierce)

DOWNEY — The City Council voted 4-0 Tuesday to advance a $1.8 million reconfiguration of Civic Center parking that will add 138 spaces and close Civic Center Drive to public traffic to create secure parking for police and city employees.

The council approved project plans, authorized the solicitation of construction bids and approved closing Civic Center Drive to non-employee traffic beginning during Downey Unified School District’s holiday break.

The closure will restrict public access to Civic Center Drive from Brookshire Avenue and Third Street. Construction is expected to begin in April 2027 and finish by July, with bidding anticipated in January.

The project will add 58 parking spaces for the Police Department, 65 for other city employees and 15 for the public. It will also free up spaces in the library parking lot that are currently reserved for employees, according to a city staff report.

Mayor Claudia M. Frometa said the improvements reflect Downey’s changing needs.

“The city we are today is not the city we were 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago,” Frometa said.

Mayor Pro Tem Horacio Ortiz also supported the project.

“This project represents the growth of our city,” Ortiz said.

The existing parking arrangement mixes employee and public vehicles in the library lot and requires enforcement to preserve staff parking, according to the report. Police employees also must cross Civic Center Drive to travel between the station and a parking lot north of the street, or use an unsecured lot west of the station.

The new configuration will consolidate employee parking in a secured area west of City Hall and north of Third Street. City Hall and library employees will enter through a secure gate at Third Street and Civic Center Drive.

Police employees will have access from both Brookshire Avenue and Third Street, with a gate connecting their parking area to the City Hall and library employee lot. Staff said the arrangement will allow officers to respond to calls in multiple directions.

“Having enhanced security parking for officers and our staff is very critical, especially nowadays and I think this is a great idea,” Councilwoman Dorothy Pemberton said. “It is long overdue for things that have happened in the past.”

Pemberton also noted that the new configuration will affect Downey High School students who are picked up and dropped off in the Civic Center.

City staff said the City Manager’s Office discussed the proposal with Downey Unified School District and the Downey Police Officers Association, both of which support the project.

The additional public parking will be located just west of the Third Street turnaround, increasing the number of spaces in that lot from five to 20.

Of the estimated $1.8 million cost, $1.6 million has already been appropriated in the city’s Capital Improvement Program Fund. Staff is identifying funding sources for the remaining $200,000 and will return to the council after bidding with an updated budget and funding plan.

Councilman Mario Trujillo recused himself from Tuesday’s discussion and vote because he owns property in the area.