Downey weighs $1.8 million civic center parking overhaul

Downey’s civic center parking lot could be reconfigured under a proposed $1.8 million project that would add 138 parking spaces and close Civic Center Drive to public traffic. (Photo by Eric Pierce)

DOWNEY — The City Council will consider a $1.8 million plan Tuesday to reconfigure civic center parking lots, add 138 spaces and close Civic Center Drive to public traffic.

The proposal would consolidate employee parking in a secured area west of City Hall and north of Third Street while connecting parking areas used by the Police Department.

Most of the additional spaces would serve city employees and police personnel. The plan calls for 65 new employee spaces, 58 additional Police Department spaces and 15 new public spaces near the Third Street turnaround.

Moving employee parking out of the library lot would also make more existing spaces available to visitors, according to a staff report prepared by Public Works Director Matthew Baumgardner.

Council members are being asked to approve the plans, authorize the solicitation of construction bids and approve closing Civic Center Drive to nonemployee traffic beginning during Downey Unified School District’s holiday break.

The proposed closure would block public access to Civic Center Drive from Brookshire Avenue and Third Street. Staff recommends putting the closure in place before students return from the break, ahead of construction.

The city anticipates soliciting bids in January 2027, starting construction in April and completing the project by July.

City officials say the current parking arrangement creates confusion for visitors and requires enforcement to preserve spaces designated for employees.

Employee and public vehicles share the library parking lot, where city pool vehicles also occupy spaces. Visitors also frequently park in an employee-designated lot northwest of the Third Street turnaround in front of City Hall, according to the report.

Police employee parking is divided by Civic Center Drive, requiring personnel to cross the street to reach the station or use an unsecured lot west of the building.

Under the proposed layout, City Hall and library employees would enter their parking area through a secured gate at Third Street and Civic Center Drive. Police personnel would have access from both Brookshire Avenue and Third Street.

A gate separating the general employee lot from Police Department parking would allow police personnel to travel between the areas and respond to calls in multiple directions, according to the report.

The employee lot would grow from 110 to 175 spaces. Combined parking in three Police Department areas would increase from 110 to 168 spaces, while the public lot near the Third Street turnaround would expand from five to 20 spaces.

Together, the areas covered by the plan would increase from 225 to 363 spaces. The report does not specify how many employee-designated spaces in the library lot would become available to the public.

The city has already appropriated $1.6 million for the project through its Capital Improvement Program Fund, leaving an estimated $200,000 funding gap.

Staff is identifying existing funding sources to cover the balance and plans to return to the council after bidding with a final project budget and funding plan.

The city manager’s office has discussed the proposal with Downey Unified and the Downey Police Officers Association, both of which support the project, according to the report.