East Sacramento Improvement Association

Mercy Hospital Parking Garage

May 06, 2004

Mercy Hospital has proposed a parking garage to accommodate its new Spanos Heart Center expansion proposal. The new parking garage would be for 488 spaces. The structure would be three levels, with one and one half levels underground, located on the west side of 39th Street at the site of the now defunct Mercy Care facility. The entrance to the parking structure would from 39th Street, across from the southwest corner of the Sacred Heart School facility. Mercy plans to acquire an additional 20 to 25 spaces by removing the small chapel at the northeast corner of their hospital property, near H Street, creating a total of 508+ spaces.

Mercy announced the parking proposal at a meeting of the Renovation Task Force, a group Mercy has been meeting with in an effort to create neighborhood consensus regarding the project. Neighborhood groups voiced opposition to the project, variously contending that it is oversized for Mercy?’s needs, and that any new parking should be on Mercy?’s ?“campus?” on the east side of 39th Street. Mercy contends that it needs much more parking than the 112 spots that will be displaced by the Cardiac Center project, and that additional parking is needed to accommodate current needs that are not sufficiently met.

The Board of the East Sacramento Improvement Association voted last week to oppose Mercy?’s parking garage proposal, and urged that any new parking structure be on the east side of 39th Street. ESIA will attempt to persuade Mercy to reconsider the parking structure proposal. Mercy is still in the planning stage for their project. It will apply to the City to permit the project in late summer or early autumn, which will initiate the environmental review process. Which may be completed by early next spring. The proposal is already generating a high level of local interest and controversy, so stay tuned.