The City of West Hollywood celebrated a construction milestone for its Automated Garage and Community Plaza Project at West Hollywood City Hall. The City held a Topping-Off Ceremony on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 10 a.m. to mark the occasion. In March 2014, the City broke ground on construction. Now, the concrete exterior of the structure is complete. Construction is anticipated to continue through late 2015.

Approximately 100 people attended the Topping-Off Ceremony. The event included members of the West Hollywood City Council, City staff, community members, and representatives from the design and construction firms working on the Automated Garage project. In addition, there were construction site tours, refreshments, and a beam-signing for attendees to inscribe a 26-foot-long steel beam that will top the Automated Garage.

As one of the most progressive cities in the nation, the City of West Hollywood is excited to embrace automated parking as an innovative solution to the challenge of creating sufficient parking to meet needs. The Automated Garage and Community Plaza Project includes development of a 200-space parking garage that will match the height of the City’s existing three-story City Hall building and a 25-foot wide community plaza between the two buildings.

The structure will contain four entry bays and will feature a large glass window facing east toward Sweetzer Avenue where people can watch as mechanical shuttles carry vehicles in and out of bays. The design includes roof-mounted photovoltaic solar panels, use of a sustainable material made from recycled grocery bags, and drought-tolerant landscaping. There will also be a fixed art installation by renowned public artist, Ned Kahn, whose concept consists of a grid of large glass marbles that will reflect the moving parts inside the garage.

The automated garage is designed by LPA, Inc., a sustainable design architecture firm, which has completed numerous award-winning public and private buildings throughout Southern California. The mechanical system that stores and retrieves vehicles is designed by Unitronics, an international leader in automated parking systems. The structure is being built by T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc., a San Diego-based contractor that has built numerous parking structures, and private and municipal buildings around Southern California.

The West Hollywood City Hall Automated Garage and Community Plaza Project is a component of the City of West Hollywood’s 25^th Anniversary Capital Project, established in 2009 to celebrate 25 years of Cityhood with the aim of developing world-class facilities that reward the community and assert permanence to help reflect the city’s dynamic legacy.

During construction, City Hall visitor parking is located at the Kings Road Municipal Parking Structure, two blocks west of City Hall at 8383 Santa Monica Boulevard. Parking validations for City Hall visitors are available at the City Hall lobby reception desk. In addition, for people who need assistance, there is a free wheelchair-accessible shuttle called City Hall Link, which runs weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. between Kings Road Structure and City Hall. (City Hall is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

For more information about the Automated Garage and Community Plaza Project at West Hollywood City Hall — including digital renderings — please visit the project web page at www.weho.org/automatedgarage.

For additional information please call the City of West Hollywood’s Department of Public Works at (323) 848-6375.