Colorado city leaders consider sale of public parking lot for 110-room hotel in Boulder

What's more valuable in downtown Boulder, a parking lot or a hotel? That's the question Boulder city leaders are weighing as they consider selling a public parking lot for a proposed 110-room hotel with commercial space.

The city of Boulder reports reaching a tentative agreement with developer Midnight Auteur, LLC for the sale of the surface parking lot at 2121 Broadway, which lies at the corner of Spruce Street and Broadway downtown.

The lot is reported to have 59 public parking spaces, and, while neighbors say it's regularly full, city leaders say a study of downtown parking showed nearby garages have enough capacity to absorb the demand, and more. But, for Senior Minister Chris Braudaway-Bauman, the conversation is about much more than parking. Braudaway-Bauman says the nearby lot is critical to the people who rely on First Congregational Church every day.

"This conversation that's going on now is alarming," Braudaway-Bauman said.  "The story is about making it possible for our church to remain vital. It's about all the activities that happen here seven days a week. It's about the 40 organizations with whom we share our building."

Braudaway-Bauman worries that removing nearby parking could make it harder for people to attend worship services and community programs. 

"We have lots of older adults who have mobility challenges," she said. "We have a preschool, a program for preschoolers with their caregivers. They need to be able to park close."

City officials acknowledge concerns about losing parking, but say nearby garages still have available spaces. They believe replacing the lot with a hotel could help revitalize downtown by bringing more visitors who would spend money at local businesses. 

"I understand the difficulty or the perception of the loss of parking," said Mark Woulf, the Boulder assistant city manager. "What we hope is that, if it's a net positive, that you would see an increase in foot traffic, an increase in visitors that would be downtown during the day spending money."

Down the block from the parking lot at the Boulder Book Store, longtime owner Daviod Boulduc says attracting more visitors would be welcome, but parking is already a challenge. "I had to walk a mile. I'm not exaggerating. I counted the blocks," he said. 

Boulduc hopes city leaders carefully consider both the benefits and the drawbacks before making a final decision, adding, "It would bring more people downtown and close in ... It's questionably just putting more cars and people down here without being able to provide the parking."

Woulf says supporting downtown businesses has become a priority as they look for ways to strengthen the city's core. 

"We know the downtown is struggling. It's the reason why we as a city have been challenged to find ways to support our core downtown. This project is just one of many different things we're looking at," Woulf said.

Boulder City Council is expected to hold a public hearing and vote on the proposed land sale on Aug. 6.