Syracuse closes large city-owned downtown garage due to safety concerns

Syracuse, N.Y. — The city of Syracuse has closed its Fayette Street Parking Garage in downtown Syracuse after engineers discovered structural safety concerns in the 41-year-old structure.

The garage at 300 E. Fayette St. was shut down Thursday following inspections by city engineers and the code enforcement department, city officials said.

Jake Dishaw, the city’s deputy commissioner of code enforcement and zoning administration, said the decision came after engineers reported significant signs of deterioration earlier this week.

Depending on the findings, demolition of the garage might be necessary, he said.

“Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to close the garage so we can do further inspections, more testing and figure out a long-term plan,” Dishaw said standing outside the garage Thursday. “We understand this is a big inconvenience for everyone who parks here, including city staff, but safety always comes first.”

City officials have closed the sidewalk along the northwest side of the building due to the possibility of falling debris.

The garage has 550 spots, with 100 to 150 city workers parking there during the week, Dishaw said.

The city’s inspection team and fire prevention office confirmed the engineers’ findings Thursday morning. The most concerning area, he said, is on the northwest corner of the building, where some concrete columns and exterior panels appear to have shifted.

“There are some columns that appear to be moving a little bit, and the concrete panels on the outside have shifted due to internal movement,” Dishaw said.

The city’s next steps include fixing up that side of the structure and conducting more invasive testing to determine whether the building can be repaired, Dishaw said.

To help offset the disruption, the city is offering parking for monthly users at the Washington Street Garage at 340 W. Washington St., which has hundreds of available spaces. That garage is half a mile - a 12-minute walk - from the now closed garage. Other surface lots and downtown garages also have open spots, Dishaw said.

The parking garage, built in the early 1980s, undergoes annual visual inspections and more detailed structural assessments every three years, Dishaw said. The most recent issues were discovered Wednesday during a city engineering review.

“With the weather, salt, rain and snow we get here, these structures eventually reach the end of their lifespan,” he said. “Now we have to determine if we can save it or if it needs to come down.”

The city did not immediately know how much revenue the garage generates each month. However, it’s budgeted to pull in $700,000 this fiscal year, according to city records.

For information about other city-owned garages, contact LAZ Parking, the city’s garage operator, at 315-422-0701 or visit lazparking.com. More information about downtown parking options can be found on the city’s website.