St. Alexius Medical Center officials are in the process of clearing the way for 90 new parking spots by the fall of 2009.

Frank Kilzer, vice president of Materials and Facilities Resources for St. Alexius, confirmed on Monday that five permits have been obtained from the city to demolish or move five homes east of the hospital grounds on Thayer Avenue.

"We have seen significant demand for parking from our specialty out-patient clinics on the east side of the campus." he said. "This is part of our long-range plan."

Applications to remove three more houses have been submitted to the Bismarck Building Inspections Department. "We're waiting on the paperwork," Kilzer said.

Depending upon their condition, at least four of the older homes are expected to be moved.

Kilzer said the movers have been given the option to relocate and sell the homes if they are durable enough.

The basements will be removed and the holes filled in.

"We could be looking at activating the demolition in the next few days. A lot of it is weather-dependent," Kilzer said.

"We would like to synchronize the companies moving with those doing the demolishing," he said. "We also have to remove the basements and fill in the space."

According to Kilzer, landscaping for the parking lots is planned to begin in May and June after the ground thaws.

He said the medical facility has owned the older homes for many years. They had been used for short-term housing of medical students, interns and those studying nursing.

The extra parking space will be located across the street from an existing parking facility site at the intersection south of East Rosser Avenue and 11th Street. "It will take up one-third of a city block," Kilzer said of the parking lot's size.

He said demand for parking has increased due to more physicians at their specialty clinics and simply trying to move patients closer to services.

The hospital wants to make the parking as close to the facility as it can for the patients, he said.

Kilzer said other housing has been arranged for medical students near the grounds of St. Alexius.

Laura Stroh, permitting technician for the City Building Inspections Department, said the removal or demolition of the homes require abatement testing. The lots also must meet environmental asbestos standards and utility lines must be inspected at the sites.

Weisz and Sons Inc. of Bismarck has been named the general contractor of the project.

(Reach reporter LeAnn Eckroth at 250-8264 or leann.eckroth@bismarcktribune.com.)