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By ELIZABETH PEZZULLO
Fredericksburg resident Roger Provo admits he’s a convert.
When the city began designing a parking deck downtown Provo was not a fan.
“It looked very urban and bland architecturally,” he said. “I also thought it was too big.”
Now that the shell of the 300-space garage at the corner of Sophia and Wolfe streets is up, Provo’s changed his tune.
“I think the architectural treatment the city arrived at and scaling back the size has made it a much better structure, and a really nice addition to the downtown,” Provo said.
Construction of the $5.8 million building is right on schedule and should open by Thanksgiving.
Some residents concerned with the deck are learning to live with it.
“Right now, the size still takes my breath away,” said Hope Tarr, a Fredericksburg resident who served on a city task force to design the deck. “I would have favored multiple smaller decks anchored at different points throughout the city. With that said, I hope it will be put to good use, and I hope the design will mitigate the mass and scale.”
Work has already started on the brick and cut-stone facade, which is a time-consuming part of the project.
Once the building is complete, it will comprise 220 prefab components and resemble an 18th-century-style warehouse reminiscent of Fredericksburg’s industrial and maritime past.
The building will also have a partially gabled roof and small windows.
The city contracted with Donley’s Inc. and the architectural firm Wisnewski Blair & Associates of Alexandria to build the deck.
Proceeds from an existing local gas tax and garage parking fees will pay for the project.
“Overall, the project has gone very well, and that’s a reflection on the excellent team Donley’s has in put in place,” said Assistant City Manager Beverly Cameron. “Clearly parking garages is something Donley’s specializes in, and they just do a superior job.”
The end product is still a mystery to some who pass the construction site.
Local architect Raymond Herlong, who also served on the city task force, said that’s when materials and design play a vital role.
“You can make a building look much smaller by how you manipulate the exterior skin,” Herlong said. “So even though it’s big now, I’m expecting it to look smaller than the shell. They’re good architects so I’m assuming they’ll do a good job.”
In addition to the $5.8 million to construct the garage, the city also spent $800,000 to reimburse Donley’s for two parcels along Caroline Street needed to build the deck.
The design task force, the first of its kind in the city, also proved successful.
Residents wanted to be sure the parking deck would mesh with the historic surroundings of lower Sophia Street, a block from the Rappahannock River.
The lot will be accessible from Wolfe Street, with another entrance off Sophia Street.
“Having the garage will be a big plus for the downtown,” Cameron said. “It provides that parking infrastructure you need just like water lines and sewer lines.”
To reach ELIZABETH PEZZULLO: 540/354-5421 epezzullo@freelancestar.com
