A new parking lot is coming to Bagg's Square. Why Utica prioritized the location

A new parking lot under the North Genesee Street bridge to provide connectivity in Bagg’s Square was announced by Mayor Robert Palmieri on Monday. 

The new lot will add 130 public parking spaces under the bridges near the intersection of John and Broad streets. The free lot will be lit by 26 LED lights and feature new sidewalks and granite curbing. 

The parking lot will help to bridge East and West Bagg’s Square, Palmieri said. The lot will connect to Water and Main streets, with sidewalk connections on Broad Street.  

“One of the things that we’ve found is missing is parking,” the mayor said. “It’s a simple commodity that’s so very important.”

The $1 million parking lot project is funded through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. The city anticipates it will be complete in November. 

The parking lot has been discussed for six years, Palmieri said. The development of downtown, and the new restaurant going into the former Children’s Museum, were factors in determining the location. 

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Palmieri said the project is another piece in the metaphorical puzzle of downtown Utica’s revitalization. 

“Sometimes people can’t see the visual when you start putting all these pieces together,” he said. “But we’re now starting to see what this beautiful picture is going to be.” 

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. tweeted a response to the news, stoking the dispute between the two leaders over payment for a parking garage for the Mohawk Valley Health System Wynn Hospital currently under construction. 

“It’s great to see that the City of Utica is finally doing something to support the substantial investments Oneida County has made in Bagg’s Square with the Wynn Hospital, the AUD and Nexus,” Picente said.

“It would have been nice if the Mayor truly worked in partnership with County Government to collaborate on the best way to maximize those investments to benefit our taxpayers and visitors instead of operating in a bubble.”