TROY – The 46-year-old deteriorating Uncle Sam Parking Garage is at the end of its lifespan and plans should be made to replace it in the next 10 years, an engineering study recommends.

The report by Structure Care of Lancaster, Pa. contains 270 photographs showing where the parking garage owned by The Bryce Companies of Troy is falling apart and its apparent structural damage.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the firm rated the garage a 3 or “marginally fair.” It’s just above a rating of poor.

“The current conditions are considered unsafe,” warns the November study by Structure Care, a firm specializing in parking garages. It advises parking should be restricted until repairs are made. Two copies of the report were forwarded to The Bryce Companies, according to the Jan. 14, letter accompanying them.

The city shut down the 751-space garage Saturday, saying it needed more specific information about safety concerns. In a letter dated Sunday, the engineering firm outlined steps under way to make repairs so that about 80 percent of it could be opened for parking by the end of the week.

“The unrestricted areas that are opened to the public within the garage are deemed safe for public use,”” the letter stated.

David Bryce, president of The Bryce Companies, did not respond Tuesday for an interview request. The city provided a copy of the engineering report to the Times Union.

Previously: Troy reverses decision, re-opens Uncle Same parking garage

The city built the garage in 1974 then sold it to Bryce in 2010 for $2.4 million. Bryce expanded the three-story garage adding two more floors to part of the structure. The Uncle Sam Parking Garage accounts for about 18 percent of the off-street parking downtown, according to the city’s 2016 parking study.

In December, a portion of the garage was closed after a beam fell. That brought public attention to what appears to be a grim situation in the parking structure. The report points out how the garage is failing.

“The Uncle Sam Parking Garage is a 40-plus-year-old parking structure nearing the end of its life cycle. We have identified several structural issues that need immediate attention that will extend the garage’s life ten or more years, but plans should be developed to replace the structure within the coming decade,” the engineering report states.

The report says repairs and maintenance at the garage will “provide for additional functional use over the next five to ten years.”

The cost to build a new parking garage varies around the country. In 2019, the estimated median cost was $21,500 per parking space, according to the WGI’s parking division. WGI is a Florida-based engineering company.

John Salka, a spokesman for Mayor Patrick Madden, said Tuesday that the city is aware of that the garage is nearing end of its "useful life.”

“While owner Bryce Companies works to address safety concerns identified in the condition assessment report and develop a strategy to replace the facility, the city will continue to monitor progress to ensure the safety of tenants, customers, and businesses who use the garage,” Salka said.

The city has no plans for building new garages and is trying to maximize use of downtown-area parking.

The problems at Uncle Sam have worried some users of it. Much of the garage was empty Tuesday with a large area cordoned off with yellow tape and barrels. Deterioration in the concrete could be seen, and supports have been put in place in some areas to buttress the garage.

The Structure Care report outlines how water damage, the failure of parts of the structure due to age, salt and deferred maintenance have all factored into the garage’s condition.

The report estimates that 60 percent of the floor on the second and third levels are damaged. Other issues cited are is corrosion to steel hardware throughout the garage; crack and deterioration can be seen in columns; the steps in the pedestrian towers are deteriorating; overhead concrete is failing in some spots; masonry has failed in certain areas; there is poor drainage and widespread rusting of exposed steel.