An official groundbreaking ceremony will take place this Friday, Sept. 19th at 12:30 pm, according to CCDC officials. The project, which was actually envisioned before the approval of Petco Park, is an element of the 1997 Downtown Comprehensive Parking Plan. Slated to rise on the block bounded by Sixth and Seventh avenues and K and L streets, it has been designed to service the southern end of the Gaslamp Quarter. Upon completion, it will house a total of 1,230 spaces. The general public will have access to 1,000 of the spaces, while 230 will be reserved for the Omni San Diego Hotel that is currently rising adjacent to the parking structure site. Completion of the garage is scheduled for summer of 2004.

Anaheim-based Bomel Construction Co. is the general contractor that has been selected to build the R-7 Public Parking Garage. According to CCDC officials, a bid opening was held on August 15th and Bomel was confirmed as the successful lowest bidder. The firm beat out Douglas E. Barnhardt Inc. and Highland Partnership Inc., who were the other two contractors bidding on the project.