New Hope Borough intends to move forward with the construction of a multilevel parking garage on borough-owned land following a settlement agreement with Union Square, resolving a dispute between the two parties, officials confirmed in a statement Friday.
The settlement agreement was approved by the New Hope Borough Council at the meeting held on March 21.
“The agreement, which took several years to negotiate, concludes litigation, allows the borough to move forward with final project design, and keeps state grant funding in place for the garage,” borough officials said in a statement.
The settlement agreement also includes a parking facility lease agreement with shopping, dining, and office complex Union Square, which will lease 50 parking spaces from the borough at a fixed rate that will renew every decade. The lease agreement replaces older, disputed lease terms that the borough had questioned two years ago.
Borough Council President Connie Gering expressed her satisfaction with the outcome of the settlement agreement, stating: “We’re glad that we can finally move full-speed-ahead on this much needed project. New Hope needs this facility to ease the parking crunch that the borough has faced for many years. Completing this project will provide a very real benefit to business and residents alike.”
The borough is looking to build the $4.5 million garage near the Delaware Canal to the north of Union Square and the New Hope Railroad.
The borough has been awarded a $1.75 million grant to help fund the project that is expected to ease limited parking in the riverfront borough.
THA Consulting has been hired as lead designer for the garage project by the New Hope Borough. THA Consulting will prepare the final design plan and construction specifications, which will serve as the basis for a request for proposal (RFP) to select a construction firm.
Borough officials said they believe THA Consulting will hit deadlines required to keep the grant funding and project on track.
Residents, business owners, and stakeholders were able to take part in public forums starting in the fall 2021, where preliminary design options were presented.
“Borough Council, the Parking Committee, and THA Consulting are committed to engaging New Hope residents at every step of the design process, to ensure that the community’s views are heard and considered as the project now moves to the final planning stage,” the statement from the borough said.
Borough officials became involved in legal action with Union Square in 2021 over the dispute.
In New Hope Borough, a lack of parking has been an issue decades and only has become worse as the number of visitors has grown along with development. Around 20,000 people can visit New Hope Borough on weekends in the spring, summer, and fall tourist season.
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