Columbia’s City Council to vote on window panels for downtown parking garage that’s seen several suicides

Efforts to prevent self-harm and suicides at Columbia’s tallest parking garage will be addressed by the city council on Monday night.

The city has finished a $489,000 project to install fencing on the top level of the Fifth and Walnut garage downtown, which opened in 2011.

The city council will vote tonight on a bill to fund the installation of side window panels. City spokeswoman Sydney Olsen tells 939 the Eagle that steel panels would cover open spots at the garage.

Jonathan White has led a recent petition for more adequate suicide prevention barriers at the nine-level garage. Our news partner ABC-17 reports Mr. White’s September petition said there had been eight suicides at the garage, ranging from people in their 20s to their early 90s.

The $504,000 project to install side window panels would be paid for by the city’s general fund.