Publication Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Put up a parking lot and expand the hours
Put up a parking lot and expand the hours
(February 25, 2004) Chamber votes to allow shoppers more time in new garages
by Bill D'Agostino
Changes are afoot at the city's two new parking garages, as officials respond to concerns that shoppers aren't using them.
A recent city study of the two $25 million garages with 900 parking spaces found they are at least half-empty, even during lunchtime.
To entice people into the garages - located at Florence Street, between University and Lytton avenues and between High and Alma streets, near University Avenue -- the Chamber of Commerce's Parking Committee voted last week to expand the time limit from two to three hours and provide better signage for the garages.
The chambers recommendations come at a time when the city has received an onslaught of complaints over downtown parking -- from inadequate advertising for the downtown garages to the inconveniences of the colored parking zones.
"In retail, your sign is your most important public asset. We're retailing parking spaces," said Developer Chop Keenan, who chaired the chamber's meeting.
During the holidays, the city changed the time limit on the downtown garages from two to three hours -- a move some business owners found so appealing they wanted it continued. The chamber's approval of the expanded parking hours will be tested for the remainder of 2004, and then re-examined next year. The council's approval is needed to make the change permanent.
Although Keenan approved the change, he is fearful employees will park in the three-hour spaces as opposed to buying the $325 parking permits - leaving fewer spaces for downtown shoppers. If that occurs, Keenan warned, the expanded hours should be revisited sooner than 2005.
Keenan was also against the idea of removing the color zones for the same reason as expanding the garage parking hours. The chamber didn't consider the color zones,
The idea to remove the color zones -- which keep downtown drivers from parking too long in any one area -- was not considered by the committee, despite a plea from Councilwoman Judy Kleinberg, who felt parking tickets dissuade shoppers from downtown.
"If somebody's got another idea" for increasing customer parking, "we want to hear about it," Keenan said. "The customer is going to continue to come first."
There is good news for businesses in terms of the garages.
The city's Public Works Department announced recently that because the construction for the garages went under-budget, businesses in the downtown district that paid for them (through a monthly assessment) would be getting a refund.
The project cost $25 million, but went at least $1 million under-budget and possibly as much as $4 million, according to Karen Bengard, the project's manager. How the money will get refunded, and the exact amount returned, will be discussed at a city committee meeting in March.
Bill D'Agostino can be e-mailed at bdagostino@paweekly.com
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