Parking concerns in downtown Bismarck

Parking in downtown Bismarck is often at a premium, and as the parking garages are filling up, Sanford announced it's replacing one parking lot.

Sanford's announcement of a new heart facility could mean a struggle for parking in the city. The Parking Authority says there are more than 1,700 off street spots in downtown. It says a new parking ramp is an expensive undertaking.

"There's a demand for more, and we'd like to see more, and as we've talked about down the road in a few years, three, four, five years with Sanford's expansion, or their announced plans for a heart hospital there'll probably be more demand for off street parking in that particular neighborhood," said Jim Christianson, Bismarck Parking Authority.

A long-term partnership with Sanford might make one possible, though no plans are in the works yet.