Councillors voted 8-3 to award the construction tender to Dowsing Concrete at the September council meeting.
The redevelopment plans, which include resurfacing and adding seven new car bays, were suspended in March after the project’s initial budget blew out and councillors planned a revocation motion.
At the meeting last month, Cr Lynley Hewett said she was frustrated that Forrest Street carpark had come before council “no less than 28 times” and it was time that council “bit the bullet”.
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READ NOW“Quite frankly, whatever we can do will improve it,” Cr Hewett said. “If we go on calling tenders then backing away, then our name will be mud.
“It is time to get on with this thing.”
Cr Mark Burns said it was “simple madness” that the City was willing to spend almost $1 million on the first stage of works.
“This is doing something just for the sake of doing it,” he said.
Mayor Heather Henderson said the 8-3 result was the “strongest vote ever seen on the Forrest Street carpark issue”.
“It has always been 6-7 over the years, it is a very controversial one,” Mrs Henderson said.
“Considering the tender in isolation gave a clear view that yes, we would stick with that direction that we had in May when we called for tenders. I was delighted with such a strong result.”
Acting chief executive Alan Millard said the City would discuss with the business community and Venn Property Group, which will run Markets on Rokeby, as to the best time to start the construction.
Mr Millard said redevelopment works on Park Street carpark began on September 29, to be completed by October 31.