Downtown skywalks and the possible need for more ramp parking dominated conversation at the Bismarck Parking Authority meeting on Thursday.

Parking Authority manager Rocky Gordon provided a short update on Medcenter One's request for additional ramp parking. The health facility is looking for an additional 200 parking spots to fill its needs.

"Medcenter One is eager for the parking and would like to see the process move along," Gordon told authority members. "City commissioner Sandi Tabor doesn't want to do anything until the legislative session is over. Right now, we're just trying to keep communications open."

Gordon said he's also been talking with St. Alexius Medical Center to see if they have any interest in additional parking, but noted they have plenty of surface parking to work with and haven't indicated they want to participate. "I've gotten the sense it's not a big priority for them," he added.

There are a couple of ramp possibilities, according to Gordon, including a surface parking lot which lies between the two medical facilities and adding on to the Galleria ramp that adjoins the Radisson Hotel. There is space adjacent to the Galleria that would provide plenty of space for additional ramp construction. Between the three downtown parking ramps and two surface parking lots the authority manages, there are about 1,200 parking spaces, Gordon said, and they're nearly all accounted for.

Authority member Brian Peterson produced a Chamber Leadership report addressing skywalks. The report looked at 10 Midwest cities that have skywalks.

"The report tries to be objective," Peterson said. "Primarily, where downtowns are flourishing and embracing the concept it's good, but where they're not it's not," Peterson said.

The report indicates that skywalks move along with development, but doesn't drive development, Peterson said. The one example where it did drive development was in Rochester, Minn. High-end condominiums in the downtown area weren't receiving much interest, but when skywalks were built connecting them to retail and services, a high demand for the condos was created.

"On the other hand, Green Bay, Wis., and Lincoln, Neb., wish they had never built them," Peterson said. "The report indicates skywalks have to be connected to activity centers. Here it would be such places as Wells Fargo, US Bank and the hospitals."

Peterson also said medical communities seem to embrace skywalks as evidenced here in Bismarck. "But would it revolutionize the downtown area? No, though it could aid it. If you're expecting higher property values, that really doesn't happen. Could we be a little Rochester? Maybe," he said.

Gordon said talk of skywalks to serve downtown Bismarck long has been a discussion and he thinks the parking ramps would be an integral part, providing a hub of sorts as people would use the ramps for parking and then make their way to destinations via the skywalks.

Authority members said Bismarck's downtown gets quiet after 6 p.m., since most of the buildings are used as offices. They have hopes that a new downtown restaurant will stimulate evening use of the downtown area and bring in more restaurants.

"If that restaurant can accomplish what they feel it can and it can make it, there's a chance others would come on and we'd get some activity downtown, so the lights wouldn't have to go off at six o'clock," the authority's vice chairman, Chuck Hale, said.

The authority also is interested to see what will happen with legislative plans for a new building for the Bank of North Dakota. Indications that it will remain in downtown Bismarck would certainly impact future parking plans.

At its next meeting, the authority will consider several improvements to the Parkade parking ramp requested by Gordon. Most involve painting and replacement of doors. Gordon estimates the work will cost up to $10,000.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)