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Yesterday, the Twin Cities' Metro Transit marked the grand opening of a new five-level parking ramp in Bloomington, Minn.

Located at the 28th Avenue Station along the Hiawatha light-rail line, the facility includes 1,450 parking spaces, making it Metro Transit's largest parking facility. It replaces a 350-space surface lot, which was filled to capacity on weekdays and during special events.

The structure also includes 2,000 square feet of retail space that the agency plans to lease. A plaza area is located between the parking ramp and station.

The $16.5 million project was financed through the Bloomington Port Authority, which issued bonds for construction. Metro Transit parent Metropolitan Council will make lease payments to the port authority to pay for the bonds. Once they're paid off in 2009, the council will own the parking ramp.