NEWBURYPORT — The city is closing in on a place to build a downtown parking garage.

The city's parking task force will meet today at 3 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers to discuss the top three picks for where a parking garage could be built in the city. Planning director Sean Sullivan said the consultant has used data, research and public feedback to narrow the possible sites to Waterfront West, land owned by developer Steve Karp between the Black Cow Restaurant and Michael's Harborside; the corner of Titcomb and Merrimac streets; and the city's Green Street parking lot.

The group originally studied six locations, including the city parking lot on Prince Place, The Daily News property on Liberty Street and the MBTA commuter rail station.

At today's meeting, the parking committee will weigh in and receive a presentation from consulting firm Tetra Tech Rizzo. From there, two final sites will be identified. After more study and review, including conceptual designs, a final choice will be presented to the mayor and City Council in January or February, Sullivan said.

Mayor-elect Donna Holaday has stated her support for the Titcomb Street property. She said yesterday she will look at the recommendations and review the report from the consulting firm.

Many other mayors before Holaday have faced the question of whether the downtown needs a parking garage and where it should go.

Mayor John Moak advocated for Prince Place. Former Mayor Mary Anne Clancy brought forward a presentation for Green Street. In 2002, the City Council narrowly defeated by one vote a plan by then-Mayor Al Lavender to build a garage at the corner of Merrimac and Titcomb streets. After years of planning by then-Mayors Lisa Mead and Lavender, the city would have borrowed $8 million for a 370-car parking garage. The city lost a $5 million state grant to help build the garage that would have gone across the street from Lombardi Oil where the BP gas station was located.

Plans for downtown parking garages date back to the mid-1970s, when a garage on the Prince Place lot was considered. Despite more than 30 years of proposals and debate, no parking garages have been built.

The current economy will play a role in the city's plans for a garage, Holaday said yesterday, noting any proposal can only go forward without being "on the backs of the taxpayers."

State and federal funding options must be pursued, she said, adding that it could take several years.

Holaday said she will also sit down and have a conversation with New England Development, which will develop Waterfront West, to get a sense of their thoughts on the findings and the study.

"That was very clear in their presentations that the city had to figure out what they're doing regarding parking and traffic," Holaday said.

The possibility of a private-public partnership should also be looked at, Holaday said.

Holaday said she believes building a garage on the heavily used Green Street lot would be a disruption to the area and could impact the neighboring Montessori School on Pleasant Street or the Unitarian Church.

"I just think it would look ugly to take that space and box it in," Holaday said.

She also questioned the notion of going underground with the parking garage, which would triple the costs.

"For me, one of the issues is to get the amount of traffic away from downtown," she said. Titcomb Street is close enough where people will walk, she said. "It's only another block."