Ipswich just south of us is not a big town (except geographically) but it may surprise you they have a parking garage that is close to the size the city is looking to install. When you go to the train station there, the first road to the right as you head into town will lead you to the structure.
I am posting these pictures so people can have a general idea of its size. It houses over 200 cars and yet is just a little bit shorter than Newburyport’s future garage.
It blends in nicely with the surrounding streetscape and does not generate odors, unpleasant noises or leer at the passing pedestrian in any frightful way.
There is pleasant landscaping around it and though it does not have a proper façade that will be required in the Port City so it blends into our historic downtown; it is just there and does not stick out as a sore thumb.
EBSCO Publishing put it in after they purchased the old Sylvania plant that shut down. This powerful Internet company desperately needed parking as they have taken over five structures in downtown Ipswich and much like Newburyport, have sucked up every available open space to take care of the influx of employees.
We desperately need an expanded Central Park (which has green grass in it, just in case the NRA is reading this); plus our visitors need to be confident they can get into our places of business; Regrettably, the recent political rhetoric by the abutters has turned this inert building into a place of horrors.
Believe me, the developers destroying our historic neighborhoods are doing enough for us in adding horror houses in our residential areas; we don’t need to inflate the parking garage as anything but a place to put cars. It is just off Route One and is conveniently at the receiving end of the long line of vehicles that are coming in from the Chain Bridge and parts west. Unlike Portsmouth, where you have to drive around a bit to catch sight of the garage!
The main goal is to push for an aesthetically and historically-blended façade that will not disrupt the heritage tourism thrust of our downtown. That’s our bread and butter and the structure should not take that experience away from our visitors!
All political efforts should be to make sure it does so, and not bring up old wounds and pick at a scab.
If passing through Ipswich, take a little time and see this structure. I promise. It won’t bite!
-P. Preservationist
http://www.ppreservationist.com
PS. By the way, EBSCO is hiring with lots of open positions and their benefits are awesome. Just bringing it up in case you need a good job. (And easy by car and train!)
Brick and Tree 