NoLita Automated Parking Garage

closed

The Baxter Street apartment building in NoLita. The entry–exit room. A plan of the first floor of the facility. A cross section of the automated parking facility. A resident's BMW being parked. The NoLita, Baxter Street parking project in the SoHo South district of NewYork provides a new fully automated parking solution for a luxury block ofcondominium apartments. The district is known for parking problems andresidents of the new apartments will most likely own luxury cars and willexpect secured parking. An automated parking system seems to fit the bill. The project area, purchased by a group of investors and co-developed byAmerican Development Group LLC and Langsam Property Services Corp., consistedof a 100 car park lot on Baxter and Hester Streets. Because of the compactdesign of the Automotion Parking System, the developers were able to transformthe 100 car lot into a 67 car automated garage, a 24 unit apartment building(modest apartments here are going for US$1.25m), and ground floor retailunits. This parking system has provided the building with a unique and valuableamenity assisting in compliance with zoning requirements for specificresidential unit to parking ratios, all while maximising the saleable squarefootage. The project was opened in January 2007. GARAGE AUTOMATION The automated parking garages increase parking space by up to 100% bysliding cars closer together, both side-to-side and bumper-to-bumper. Theparking platform allows parking two levels deep with independent access to anycar. This method maximises the space normally lost in access ramps and lanesand behind columns. The turntable also allows convenient access in narrow andlimited spaces. HOW AUTOMATED PARKING WORKS The driver enters through a traditional overhead garage door, parks thevehicle on a pallet inside an ‘entry and exit room’, swipes his credit card ormagnetic ID key, takes a receipt, and then leaves to go about his/her business.Sensors then scan the entry/exit room and make sure the driver has left andthere is no one inside. A laser system analyses the dimensions of the vehicle to determine if itwill fit in the parking system and where to place the car. Once the sensorsdetermine everything is ok to proceed, the pallet with the car upon it, whichsits on a lift, lowers or raises the vehicle into the system. The main component of the system, the Storage and Retrieval Unit (SRU),takes over. Using the ‘quick exchange’ system, the pallet with the car isrolled from the lift onto the SRU and the empty pallet from the SRU replacesthe occupied one on the lift. The lift returns to the entry/exit room with anempty pallet and is ready to receive the next vehicle. The SRU, which is essentially an elevator on tracks, begins the process ofstoring the vehicle in one of the vacant spots. When the SRU reaches the spotwhere the car is being placed the ‘quick exchange’ process is repeated and theempty pallet from the rack is replaced with the occupied pallet. The SRUreturns, with the empty pallet, back to the lift to accept the next car. When the driver returns to pick up the car they swipe a credit card ormagnetic ID key again. This initiates the retrieval process, which takes just2½ minutes. The system, using the credit card or magnetic key FOBinformation to identify the appropriate vehicle (or more accurately theappropriate pallet) begins the retrieval process. The SRU travels back to thespot where the car was stored and the process is reversed. No one touches thevehicle at anytime. CONTRACTORS The AutoMotion parking system uses technology developed by the Germanindustrial manufacturer Stolzer Parkhaus, which has already built 28 similarautomated facilities. MJS Garage Management will operate the first system inNew York. As an added benefit, the German automotive manufacturer, BMW, inpartnership with AutoMotion, will pick-up, service and deliver any make orbrand of car parked within an AutoMotion system garage. AutoMotion maintains a team of specially trained mechanics, available24-hours, seven days a week to help with the system in case of difficulties.Every parking cardholder is given an emergency telephone number to summonexpert assistance. Current AutoMotion systems are designed to accommodate nearly all passengervehicle sizes, excluding the largest of sports utility vehicles; however anautomated system can be customised to fit any vehicle size specification. Currently AutoMotion research and development is formulating equipment forgovernment agencies to incorporate within high technology safety and securitydetection parking operations.

High