The City of Windsor is moving ahead with plans to make an $8-million parking garage part of its design for a new city hall.

A couple councillors opposed the idea, thinking it would be best to let private businesses build a parking garage.

But Chief Administrative Officer Helga Reidel says Windsor’s low parking rates are the reason the majority of council’s on board. “We haven’t perhaps had the economy that would have supported expensive parking in the downtown the way other cities may have had. However, in the end, it’s that very fact that would make it very difficult for a private parking garage owner to make a business case to operate a parking structure in the City of Windsor.”

Reidel says it’ll be months before designs for the garage, city hall or a newly renovated civic square are brought to council.