Parking Deck 101: A study in the Urban Infill

"Parking Deck 101: A Study in Urban Infill" is a project that takes an in-depth look at how to reimagine the single-use urban parking deck. The goal of this project was to reimagine an existing parking deck in a way that is minimally invasive, keeping the parking counts high while gaining valuable retail space on the first floor and providing compact affordable apartments on the upper floors. The high level of activity on 3rd Street in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, including foot traffic, parade routes, human-scale foosball and dodgeball tournaments, and street fairs, means there is limited time when the street can be closed for construction. The use of pre-fab living units attached to exposed metal frames will drastically reduce the construction time. The abundance of shipping containers at the Little Rock Port Authority and the capability of the local manufactured home industry will allow for cost-effective pre-fab units. The owner and developer have been approached by several retailers and restaurants about adding lease space along 3rd St., and there is great interest in more affordable apartment units in the River Market District. This project would meet both of these needs.