Thursday, June 17, 1999
Parking hits $10 at some downtown garages
BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Days after a major employer said it may leave downtown Cincinnati to avoid skyrocketing parking costs, one of the city's largest garage operators raised prices.
Commuters in two of downtown's newest skyscrapers started paying higher daily rates this week. The move further pinched wallets — and tested the patience — of downtown workers. Delta Air Lines has threatened to move 1,000 jobs out of downtown.
Central Parking, which man ages about half the 30,000 parking spots in downtown, raised the daily maximum rate (more than eight hours) from $7 to $10 at 312 Walnut St., and from $8 to $10 at 312 Elm St. The increase is the latest of several in the past year at various downtown garages.
“In two, three or four years, it will all change,” said Jeff Jones, general manager for Central Parking. But until then, when a number of parking garages are built along the riverfront, downtown commuters
will have to adjust.
Tenants in the two buildings have complained that their guests have not been able to find parking, Mr. Jones said. Between the two buildings, they can park nearly 1,700 vehicles. To make room for the guests, Central Parking needed to increase turnover by raising rates.
To Delta employees and others complaining about recent price increases, he suggested they shop around.
A short walk from Cinergy Field, for example, will get a commuter a spot for as little as $2.50 a day, he said. And there are more than 500 spots available near the stadium. If the demand warranted it, another 200 spots could be opened up on the stadium plaza level.
“There still is cheap parking available downtown,” Mr. Jones said.
Even with Cincinnati's recent parking squeeze, its prices are not that far out of line with other Ohio cities.
In Cleveland, one garage near city hall charges $8.75 a day to park, or $110 a month. In Columbus, one downtown garage gets $10-12 a day, $150 a month.
Monthly rates in downtown Cincinnati range from $45 at the stadium parking lots to $150 at the Fountain Square garage.
For years, parking was relatively inexpensive in Cincinnati. The daily 8-hour rate at 312 Elm St. was as low as $6 two years ago.
But that was before spots began to disappear. Construction of Fort Washington Way and Paul Brown Stadium has eliminated more than 1,000 parking spaces, said Chuck Cullen, the city's superintendent of parking. In addition, the city-owned Parkade garage at Race and Sixth closed March 1 because of structural problems, taking 346 spaces with it.
On top of that, demand is going up as downtown office buildings near capacity and new apartments are developed.
The price increases have prompted Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (DCI) to ask city leaders to put a cap on prices in Cincinnati garages. Downtown business has been good, and the group doesn't want a temporary lack of parking to disrupt that, said John Schneider, DCI transportation adviser.
This past week, it was learned that Delta is threatening to move its reservations call center out of the city without cheaper — even free — parking. The company says the Cincinnati call center is its most expensive in the country to operate.
On a smaller scale, the downtown worker is also feeling the pinch. Lisa Ott is a senior assistant at the Ann Taylor store in Tower Place mall.
When her rates started going up at the mall parking garage, she tried the stadium lots and their cheaper prices. Then her car was broken into. She decided to pay the $6 a day — that's with a $3 employee discount — to park in the mall's garage.
Her sense of security was more important, Ms. Ott said. But she also decided to pursue a transfer to a suburban store, with free parking.
“It has gotten ridiculous downtown,” she said.
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