Hop and Mae Adams Foundation buys key parking lot

A complete makeover of the old Citibank downtown now will include sufficient parking to meet Carson City government requirements.

The Hop and Mae Adams Foundation, which owns the building being converted into retailing, offices and apartments with an additional floor, has purchased the parking lot to the south to accommodate the need.

“We needed to come up with sufficient parking,” said Miya MacKenzie, local spokesperson for the foundation. “We were able to buy that lot.”

The city’s Planning Commission in late August approved the project plans but either sufficient additional parking spaces were needed or the project would have to come up with an in-lieu of payment toward a possible downtown parking garage in the area. MacKenzie said buying the lot gives the project a few more slots than the 28 additional slots that were needed.

The project envisions not only retailing and office space on the two existing floors, but addition of another level and a total of 10 apartment units. Garages with 10 spots also will be built on the project land, which is near Telegraph Square. MacKenzie has said the apartment units will be well appointed and attractive for residents to live, work and enjoy downtown amenities. She sounded pleased with the parking solution.

“We were kind of faced with that or pay the city to help with a parking garage,” she said, though she added a garage to enhance downtown parking still may be in the cards.

The foundation owns considerable downtown property and already has upgraded two structures a block east of the former Citibank, renovating what is now the Adams Hub business incubator and a downtown microbrewery.