The city has closed the Civic Parkade on Princess Street over concerns that the structure may not be safe.
The decision came suddenly Friday evening after the Winnipeg Parking Authority received an engineering report that the building may no longer be safe.
The structure was built in 1966 and noticeable cracks have appeared in its concrete. Many pipes are wrapped in warning tape.
Randy Topolniski of the Winnipeg Parking Authority said the closure will “give us an opportunity to review and put a plan together to ensure the facility remains safe to use in the future.”
Officials said they had been monitoring the parkade on an ongoing basis and the closure was a precautionary measure.
About half of the building’s 450 stalls are reserved for monthly parkers. Winnipeg Parking Authority officials said monthly parkers will be notified over the weekend that they must move their cars to the Millennium Library Parkade on Donald Street by Monday.
Transit buses will shuttle monthly parkers to and from city hall throughout the workday.
Officials said the closure of the parkade won’t affect the police service, which uses an underground parkade but it will close a nearby street.
James Avenue between Princess and King Street will be shut down to facilitate police operations.
No information on when the parkade may be reopened has been released.
