Orange may get parking structure

Another parking structure is being discussed for Old Towne Orange though it would be years before it opens. The City Council last week approved paying $56,000 to Watry Design for a site plan with possibly 200 to 300 stalls in a structure at Almond Avenue and G rand Street, possibly replacing the Orange Fire Department headquarters and an apartment complex. The city already has been looking at building new headquarters at 105 S. Water St., although it s still uncertain how the city would fund that project. Old Towne Orange has chronically struggled with parking. A 608-stall structure near the Metrolink Stationon the area s west side opened in February. But the city for years also has discussed an eastside structure as well, city spokesman Paul Sitk off said. Watry Design will look at two options: A stand-alone structure or a mixed-use project that also could include office spaces for city staffers. The proposed parking structure could cost $7 million to $13 million, according to estimgn s proposal. But Sitk off stressed neither funding nor a final construction cost for the structure has been identified. You can t really estimate the cost until you really know w hat s going to be built, he said. Nothing is set in stone, Sitk off said, from how the structure would look to how much it would cost to whether it will be built at, all. No one should expect shovels to hit the ground on this project for a while, he said. This is the beginning of the journey, he said. And like most journeys, you