Despite disagreements about how to lessen costs, on Monday, State College Borough Council awarded Leonard S. Fiore Inc. a contract to build a six-level parking garage at the intersection of Fraser Street and Beaver Avenue.

The garage is estimated to cost about $16 million and should hold 525 cars.

Fiore entered a bid of about $11 million for construction costs. The difference is made up of other costs, including land, security and utilities.

In an attempt to save the borough money, council member James Meyer suggested rejecting Fiore's bid of $95,000 to install heated sidewalks around the parking garage.

Council voted in favor of Meyer's suggestion but rejected his proposal to save $225,000 by changing the appearance of the building.

Current plans call for a brick façade. Meyer proposed trading the brick appearance for cement to save money.

"You're throwing away a large chunk of money," Meyer said.

Council member Jeffrey Kern expressed concern about the borough getting into debt with the project.

"It might be worth saving a quarter of $1 million," Kern said. "We keep just tossing money away like we're printing it in the back room." Kern added the borough would not make profit on the project until 2013.

Original estimates expected the cost of the parking garage to be about $340,000 less than Fiore's bid. The entire project was estimated to cost about $14.5 million during planning.

"We were frankly off on that estimate," said borough manager Tom Fountaine, adding that all bids came in higher than the estimated cost.

Council member Elizabeth Goreham suggested reducing costs by eliminating one floor of the parking garage. The garage is designed to fit about 100 cars on each floor.

Goreham said she would prefer to lose one floor than sacrifice the garage's aesthetic quality.

Meyer cautioned council about building a structure that would not meet the needs of the borough.

"You can't throw a floor off. The revenue is needed," he said.

Council member Janet Knauer said the borough could be overestimating the amount of parking needed in the new garage, which could result in less revenue than anticipated.

"I think we are overspending," Knauer said. "I think we're overdoing it."

The parking garage is scheduled to open in 2005. Fountaine said contractors would break ground this fall.

Council will decide on bond financing for the garage at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen St.