A weathered and worn piece of rebar peeks through a crumble of concrete at the C Street parking garage in Sparks. The first time that piece of steel saw the city of Sparks was in 1987 when the four-story garage was originally built.

Now, it has caught the attention of the city’s redevelopment agency as they prepare their funding priorities for capital improvement projects for the upcoming year.

Following a unanimous vote from the redevelopment agency Monday, $215,500 in improvements to the parking garage will be included in the city’s 2009-2010 budget proposal.

Another $2 million was also approved for various improvements to the Victorian Square area. The agency did not specify what these improvements would be. According to city redevelopment staff, the projects will be determined after a series of redevelopment agency meetings. The $2 million for the unspecified projects could come from either redevelopment tax increment revenue, or the city could pursue bond financing, according to staff reports.

The old parking garage, which generally fills with event-goers as various special events roll into Sparks, has been on the city’s radar for years.

In a May 2007 meeting, then Ward 1 council member John Mayer said that the elevators “take a beating” and were in need of repair.

After an assessment, the agency’s preliminary plan for the garage improvements include plugging water leaks, fixing concrete cracks, painting, sealing and surfacing. A seismic evaluation is also on the agency’s agenda for the garage, as well as reinforcing the columns in the garage with fiber wrap and replacing the stairs.

Agency reports tempered their list of improvements with the possibility that funding just might not be available. According to staff reports, the proposal is a “working document,” subject to change.

The money for the parking garage improvements would come from the redevelopment agency’s coffers. This money would be raised from redevelopment area property taxes.