^underground is definitely lower maintenance (lower risk rapid deterioration and massive repair bills) than above-ground parkades. The number of absolutely ROTTEN above-grade parkades in Oliver is shocking; once you start looking for them they're everywhere. the exposure of the structure to the wet, the cold, and the salt for decades is brutal. add in that they often aren't very well detailed, some of them are precast (and rely on point connections that can collect water and rust), and are never as well-maintained as the building itself? oof. there's a complex by Mckay Ave School that is taking a level off its parkade right now; i speculate that we'll see more of that in the next 5-10 years as these things finally give up the ghost.
I think it's a bit of a moot point a lot of the time, so many of these DT buildings are overparked. only about 50% of Oliver commutes by car (according to 2016 and 2021 censuses) and more anecdotally, looking at all the buildings in the area, their parking lots, usually 1:1 stalls to units, if not below, are only 2/3 full. why drive to get groceries when the store is a 10 minute walk away? It's how a lot of us live in that area. I think (HOPE!) as these parkades fail they won't get replaced. we can use the space for other things. i know my building could lose a level off it's parkade and not be stressed (literally, i counted stalls, cars, and did the math lol)
