Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, on Tuesday filed a bill that would require the state Department of Finance and Administration to build a parking facility with at least 200 spaces on the state Capitol grounds.
"Only the state can do business and force people to park five blocks away because we are a monopoly and if you want to do business with the state, you have no choice but to park wherever you can and find your way in," Clark said. "But it makes no sense that we force people to do that."
Finance department officials anticipate the project would cost between $25,000 and $28,000 per space based on location and surrounding architecture and cost $5 million to $5.6 million, said spokesman Scott Hardin.
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Clark said he didn't think the bill would pass this session but he wanted to start the discussion.
He said state officials have previously studied locating a parking garage behind the Multi-Agency Complex west of the Capitol.
-- Michael R. Wickline