Type: Historic
Project Name: Penn Street Parking Garage
City: Baltimore
State: MD
Client: The University of Maryland

Features: 956-car space, 10-level open parking structure with 12,000 sq. ft. of retail at ground level

Description: Considered the main gateway to a major university campus, the project site was the location of an electrical distribution substation of the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. The 100-year old brick and terra cotta facade, identified as historically significant, was preserved during demolition and incorporated into the new building architecture. Founded on deep caissons to rock, the precast double tee parking structure utilizes architectural finished spandrel panels inlaid with brick to integrate the existing façade and negate the typical parking garage “look.” There is 12,000 square feet of ground level flexible office space to serve specific university needs. Parking spaces for 956 cars serve University staff commuters, however, it is also a mixed-use facility serving University and City visitors as well as patrons of nearby Oriole Park at Camden Yards Stadium. Reversible lanes provide for heavy traffic volumes at peak hours and post-even exodus. Traffic and Revenue Control Systems are integrated into the University network. An open layout and use of glass enclosures provides security for garage patrons. Wayfinding graphics reduces confusion. DESMAN is the Parking Consultant and Structural Engineer of Record as part of the Whiting –Turner Contracting Company Design-Build Team. DESMAN Associates provided parking functional design and specifications for the access and revenue control equipment. The facility satisfies a program requirement for a 40-year life expectancy and makes use of current technology to provide a durable concrete structure. The parking facility was the 1996 Honorable Mention Award recipient from the International Parking Institute (IPI) for excellence in parking structure design over 800 spaces.