Uncle Sam Parking Garage in Troy Closed For Good
You won't be able to park in the Uncle Sam Parking Garage in Troy anymore. The city has deemed it unsafe. Starting today it will be closed indefinitely due to inspections that have been done by Troy Code Enforcement and the engineering departments.
The Uncle Sam Parking Garage was built in 1974 and this is the second time in just two years that the garage had to be closed to the public. Troy city officials say that many people have been calling and complaining about crumbling cement and the overall condition of the parking garage according to the Times Union.
It has been over a year since an engineering study revealed that the garage was falling apart and not structurally sound. That's when the recommendation came down that the garage should be replaced within ten years. The November 2019 study said:
The Uncle Sam Parking Garage is a 40-plus-year-old parking structure nearing the end of its life cycle. We have identified several structural issues that need immediate attention that will extend the garage's life ten or more years, but plans should be developed to replace the structure within the coming decade.
A firm that specializes in the structure of parking garages gave the Uncle Sam Parking Garage a rating of three out of ten. This is a "marginally fair" rating just above poor.
The Bryce Companies who own the Uncle Sam Parking Garage will conduct their own inspection. They will bring in an engineer to inspect it to compare the claims of the City of Troy. There is a possibility the garage could open at some point.
Parking is tricky enough in the City of Troy and the Uncle Sam Parking Garage holds nearly eighteen percent of off-street parking in downtown Troy.