Scottsdale’s City Council has signed off on the hotly debated Brown Avenue parking expansion in Old Town, voting to move ahead with a larger garage at First Street and Brown Avenue after months of pushback from nearby residents and merchants. Opponents warn the taller structure will tower over the Old Adobe Mission and bump the longtime Saturday farmers market from its home turf, while supporters insist Old Town is already starved for parking. The tight 5-2 vote has energized petition drives and set the stage for a long-running political fight heading into this year’s local races.
Council vote and contract
In a 5-2 decision, the council approved a nearly $4 million construction contract for phase one of the project, according to Arizona's Family. This initial phase covers early site work and the core structural build that will add two above-ground levels to the existing Brown Avenue parking corral. Vice Mayor Adam Kwasman joined the council majority in voting to move the contract forward at Tuesday’s meeting.
Cost, capacity and schedule
Project documents on the City of Scottsdale website peg the Brown Avenue expansion’s total budget at $20,900,000, with construction slated to begin in July 2026 and new parking stalls opening in spring 2027. The city plans to add 185 stalls and says existing public art on the site will stay in place while a new installation is planned to face Second Street. Officials describe the project as bond-funded infrastructure intended to ease what they call chronic parking shortages in Old Town.
Design and the mayor's objections
The proposed design leans heavily into a Western look, with textured concrete, brick accents, wood shutters and covered walkways meant to echo Old Town’s storefronts, as reported by ABC15. Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky, one of the two no votes, argued that the chosen location “couldn’t be in a worse area” and warned the garage would undermine ongoing efforts to “revitalize and beautify Old Town.”
Public meetings and the farmers market
Close to 20 residents and business owners addressed the council during the public hearing, most of them urging city leaders to hit pause or cancel the contract altogether, according to 12 News. As approved, the expansion will force the Old Town Farmers Market to move for the 2026–27 season, a relocation organizers and vendors say could reshape Saturday foot traffic for surrounding small businesses.
Petitions and local opposition
Opponents have been organizing well beyond the council chambers. ABC15 reported that residents submitted a citizen petition certified by the city with more than 4,500 signatures calling on the council to cancel the project. Local group Save Old Town Scottsdale has launched an ongoing campaign labeling the proposed structure a “monstrosity,” and Hoodline has previously covered the market’s planned relocation in an earlier piece on Old Town events and parking changes.
Timeline and what comes next
The city’s project page lists construction beginning in July 2026, with most of the new stalls expected to be available by spring 2027 and wrap-up work continuing into the summer, according to the City of Scottsdale. Staff say they will keep up community outreach as designs are finalized and building gets underway, framing the Brown Avenue expansion as just one piece of a broader Old Town parking strategy funded through the 2019 bond.
Supporters who spoke at the meeting argued that Old Town is on track to outgrow its current parking inventory and that delaying the project risks more severe shortages down the road, according to Arizona's Family. Opponents counter that the vote sets the stage for a long fight over how Scottsdale balances preservation with growth, one that is likely to stretch through campaign season and well beyond.
