New parking structure will be built near Miller Park and Lewis Library in Fontana | News

A new parking structure will be built in Fontana’s downtown area, next to Miller Park, the Lewis Library and Technology Center, and Center Stage Theater.

The City of Fontana will use $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to build the structure during the next year, according to Chief Financial Officer Jessica Brown, who gave a report about ARPA during the Sept. 13 City Council meeting.

Previously, the city had proposed to build a parking structure at the Fontana Metrolink Station with those federal funds, but instead the money will go toward a four-tier structure that will have between 330 and 350 parking spaces in the existing parking lot behind the city’s Human Resources Building at 8491 Sierra Avenue.

The structure will serve the public as well as city employees, Brown said.

The extra parking spaces are expected to come in very handy when the city holds major events at Miller Park, although parking availability will be impacted while construction is taking place.

The project is currently in the design phase and the estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2023, Brown said.

Center Stage Theater, which is now closed, will also be renovated, according to an announcement by Mayor Acquanetta Warren earlier this year.

—– OVERALL, the city received about $50 million because of ARPA, which was passed by Congress in 2021.

Brown detailed where the money would go during her report, saying that there were some changes to the original plans, and the City Council unanimously approved those changes. The city is planning to fund a total of 21 projects costing $49.8 million.

One of the most significant uses of the funds will be an $8 million allocation for homelessness prevention resources and a care center. Construction of the homeless shelter is scheduled to begin next year and the estimated completion date is November of 2024.

Other funds will be used for:

Park improvements — $4 million

Ventilation upgrade for city facilities — $2.5 million

Cypress Storm Drain Project — $5.8 million

Providing fiber to city facilities to facilitate the use of technology at the locations — $2 million

Septic to sewer — $2 million

Retention/premium pay bonuses for public safety employees — $1.5 million

Support for government employment above the pre-pandemic baseline — $5.8 million

In addition, the city is purchasing a helicopter for the Police Department. Brown said this project will get discretionary General Fund money.