The 12-year journey to a Union Station garage
1996 — City Manager Thomas Hoover estimates the cost of a new garage for the yet-to-be-finished Union Station at $7 million.
1997 — The city receives a $5 million grant from the state for the construction of a Union Station garage. It is intended to go toward a total project cost of about $9 million, although some stories still cite the $7 million figure.
1997-2002 — The need for a parking garage is consistently raised, debated, discussed and dissected. Sites in virtually every direction from Union Station are proposed.
June, 2002 — The idea of a parking garage next to I-290, at the intersection of Shrewsbury and Grafton streets is debated. The old Amtrak station on Shrewsbury Street is also discussed, but deemed by many to be too far away from the station.
October, 2002 — The Telegram editorializes that the garage belongs at the parcel-post site behind Union Station, and nowhere else. The City Council sets a final date of Dec. 31 for deciding on a site for the garage.
January, 2003 — City Manager Hoover says the city is close to wrapping up a deal with UMass to buy the parcel-post building.
May 28, 2003 — The City Council votes to acquire the parcel-post building. Worcester Magazine says that design work on the site is expected to take 10-12 months, and construction at least another year.
June 30, 2003 — The $5 million grant is supposed to expire today, but the state extends the deadline a year.
October, 2003 — The state Senate approves transferring the parcel-post site to the city.
December, 2003 — Garage construction is slated to begin in the fall of 2004, with a completion date of Spring 2006. However, city officials express concern over whether the $5 million slated for the city will be released. “We’re confident we can get this done,” Hoover says.
May-June, 2004 — The Mitt Romney administration holds up the release of the $5 million for garage construction, with finance chief Eric Kriss asking the city for “proof of need” for the garage. Officials say the information has been given, and final “proof” will be given; City Manager Michael O’Brien says he has been told the money will be released soon.
July 9, 2004 — The money is still not released. State Rep. Vincent Pedone sends an e-mail to Kriss, stating that Romney ‘’continues to play games with the city and taunts our administration.’’ Kriss complains about the e-mail’s tone; Pedone immediately sends a followup. “The impassioned tone I used in the e-mail was written in haste and for that I apologize .... I simply want to ensure that Worcester receives the money it was promised to build the much-needed parking garage at Union Station .... I believe we will be able to move this project forward together.’’ The City Council votes to construct a temporary parking lot on Worcester Center Boulevard.
July 23, 2004 — O’Brien meets with the Romney administration, and says that “loose ends” could be tied up in a matter of weeks so that the money could be released. ‘’They have asked for some follow-up information, and we intend to provide that as soon as we can .... We are looking for closure on this in the next couple of weeks. This is a significant item for this city,” the manager tells the Telegram.
August 13, 2004 — The state announces it is releasing the $5 million to the city. O’Brien says it will take about three years to build the garage.
September, 2004 — The city officially acquires the parcel-post building. On Sept. 21, the City Council approves a $9 million loan order to fund the construction of the garage.
January, 2005 — Construction is expected to begin in August. Worcester Magazine crunches the numbers with city budget director John Pranckevicius, who says each space will need to generate $85 per month in order to cover debt service and operational costs. He says that a combination of commuters, special events and evening use could hit that number.
July, 2005 — The estimated cost of the garage is now $13 million. The city seeks $3.9 million in federal funding. 
November, 2005 — Despite hopes that the parcel-post site would be at “pad stage” already, environmental concerns delay demolition.
January, 2006 — The garage is an estimated 12-18 months away, according to a Telegram article citing the environmental problems with the demolition of the parcel-post building. The site is expected to be ready by mid-March.
January, 2006 — Concerns over the needed relocation of utility infrastructure are raised. National Grid, a main player, is reluctant to pay the expected $1.2 million to move their lines for a city project.
July, 2006 — The National Grid duct still isn’t moved. The project is still estimated at about $13 million.
October, 2006 — National Grid still hasn’t moved their lines, but City Manager Michael O’Brien tells the City Council that the garage won’t be delayed. [The lines are subsequently moved.]
April, 2007 — Lt. Gov. Tim Murray comes to the station to announce $2.15 million more for a garage that is now estimated at $21.5 million (more than $42,000 per spot). Construction officially begins at the end of the month, with an estimated completion date of December, 2008.
May, 2007 — The infamous “Garage Mahal” article appears in the Telegram. The garage is compared cost-wise to other area garage construction projects; the city’s use of a Project Labor Agreement is blamed for the ballooned cost. Officials strike back immediately, declaring that “design extras” are what added to the cost, not labor agreements.
June, 2007 — The City Council refuses to revoke the PLA; officials say it added no more than $365,000 to the cost, not $4 million as some critics had charged.
December, 2007 — DPW Commissioner Robert Moylan predicts a July 1 completion date. He also says parking rates in the new garage will most likely be higher than the $110 a month charged in other city garages.
July 7, 2008 — Moylan says the garage is scheduled to open during the week, although he doesn’t say what day. He reveals the final cost is $19.2 million — a cost per spot of more than $38,000.
July 14, 2008 — A week later, the garage opens. No more than a dozen cars are parked there on the first morning. The parking contractor says the garage hours will be 6 a.m. to 12 a.m.
July 15, 2008 — Commissioner Moylan adjusts the reported hours to 5:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., to allow commuters to catch the first and last trains of the day. o
