Plans for the $160 million redevelopment of a downtown Haverhill parking garage and adjacent parcels means certain parking leases must end, and temporary parking created, to accommodate Merrimack Street residents and businesses.
Haverhill city councilors tonight are asked to end parking agreements with Harbor Place and Pentucket Bank, which have rights to 198 parking spaces in the Herbert H. Goecke Jr. Memorial Parking Deck and approve plans for replacement parking in several areas, including a vacant lot at 56-70 Merrimack St. Specifically, councilors are being asked to authorize Mayor James J. Fiorentini to end the parking licenses in time for the demolition of the Goecke Deck by next August.
The new parking plan requires by next May the expansion of the Haverhill Place parking lot just north of the parking garage from 30 to about 82 spaces and creation of 30 temporary spaces on land owned by a Harbor Place-related company, at 56-70 Merrimack St.; 12 spaces next to the existing Pentucket Bank branch at White’s Corner; and—after the August demolition of the existing garage—130 temporary spaces on the same lot.
Developer Salvatore N. Lupoli’s plans to build a 660-space garage with construction starting next September and completion estimated by the end of 2025. It will support a mixed housing and retail complex previously approved by the City Council.
Parking spaces at the Goecke Deck were made available in 2014 as part of the construction of Harbor Place, 2-54 Merrimack St. The temporary Harbor Place lot will be located on land slated for a future housing complex.
The Haverhill City Council meets at 7 p.m., in-person at the Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. Council Chambers, room 202, Haverhill City Hall, 4 Summer St., As a public service, 97.9 WHAV plans to carry the meeting live.