Midland sells its share of the Larkin parking deck for $50,000

MIDLAND, Mich. — Midland City Council voted 5-0 on Monday to sell the city’s two-thirds ownership of the Larkin parking deck to Midland Main ST Investments LLC for $50,000, the Midland Daily News reported.

The three-story deck fills a downtown block between Larkin, Rodd, Ellsworth and Townsend streets. Council had tabled the same sale on Sept. 28 and asked City Manager Brad Kaye for more valuation detail. That memo returned Monday night.

Kaye told the council the structure itself has no residual value but that the land under the city’s portion is valued at about $172,000, according to the Daily News. He said the city has been running the deck at about a $22,000 annual loss, and that renting the public spaces would bring only about $5,000 a year if the free three-hour model were dropped.

About 60 spaces in the deck remain open to the public under the same three-hour limit as downtown street and lot parking. Delta College’s Midland Center lease on the second floor continues under the new owner. Huntington Bank owns the top floor and is not part of the sale.

Under the deal, the city gains taxable property revenue and keeps a right of first refusal if Midland Main ST Investments later sells. Patrick Pnacek, who has represented the buyer and has purchased several former Chemical Bank buildings on East Main and Townsend, told the council he needs guaranteed parking for tenants and shoppers as those buildings turn into housing, restaurants and storefronts.

Mayor Pro Tem Diane Brown Wilhelm said backing the sale matches the city’s stated goals on downtown business and housing. Councilman Marty Wazbinski called it a win for downtown, the city and the project; Councilman Tim Soler said the best time to sell is when something needs maintenance. The vote needed a four-fifths majority; all five members present supported it.

Sources:
Midland Daily News / Michigan’s Thumb, “City Council unanimously backs Larkin Parking Deck sale,” Oct. 13, 2026, https://www.michigansthumb.com/community/article/midland-city-council-larkin-parking-deck-sale-22474367.php
City of Midland, Regular City Council Agenda, Oct. 12, 2026 (Item 6, Sale of Larkin Parking Deck), https://www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10122026-3164
Photo: Mtaylor848, “Woodhouse Lane multi-storey car park, Leeds (10th February 2025).jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped; derivative under the same ShareAlike license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woodhouse_Lane_multi-storey_car_park,_Leeds_(10th_February_2025).jpg

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