No, it’s not a stunning architectural achievement or a shiny new light rail or subway line, but West Hollywood has crossed a big civic milestone off its checklist: its automated garage opens this month after being first proposed around 2010.
The city is hosting a party for the new facility on May 24 at 5 p.m. with “Snacks! Music! Celebration!”
Located right behind City Hall on Santa Monica Boulevard, the three-story automated garage holds 200 cars and requires a much smaller footprint than a conventional garage. The smaller size allowed the construction of a 7,000 square foot community plaza, with trees, benches, a water feature, and a stage for readings and small festivals. The city also touts the facility as a green parking solution, “with no idling or circling or searches for available spots” and a reduction in CO2 emissions equal to taking 92 cars off the road each year or planting 67,000 trees.
Designed by LPA Inc. and Unitronics, the robot garage features four bays where drivers drop off their cars, which are then automatically moved and stacked like Matchbox cars (see a demo below). While drivers wait to retrieve their vehicles—which only takes a minute or two—they can check out some cool murals painted on the bays. Not bad, WeHo, not bad.