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Prepare to pay to park at The Chevy
TweetYOUNGSTOWN —Those going to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Saturday and other events at the Chevrolet Centre for at least the foreseeable future will probably have to dig a little deeper into their pockets to pay an additional parking fee.
A majority of city council members said Wednesday they intend to end a contract with USA Parking Systems to provide spaces in parking decks and lots for those attending events at the center. The contract expires Friday.
“When you go to an event at any other facility, you pay to park,” said Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th and chair of the finance committee. “Sometimes it costs $20.”
The decision by council came as a surprise to Finance Director David Bozanich, who thought the legislative body gave him the go-ahead at an Oct. 15 meeting to renew the contract for the month of November while council decided on a long-term deal.
But most members of council said the extension was only for this month.
When asked by The Vindicator after its meeting about the parking issue, most of council said they were letting the parking deal expire.
For the complete story, read today’s Vindicator or Vindy.com
Comments
Ridiculous. In this area, with the lack expendable cash flow, all that is going to do is keep people from coming to the Chevrolet Centre. Many attendees can barely afford the tickets let alone the additional costs for parking and raised food and beverage prices.
the nail i nthe coffin. n oone will want to go there now. t may be true that you hve to pay at msot places but then again I ebt not all places require you to pay to park or if they do it is in the ticket price.
I think this is a wise move by Council. The City has been paying too much for too long to subsidize parking for events. This will free up some of the City's money for other things; my suggestion is that a portion of the savings go to a) improved signage in the downtown to point the public to the numerous parking areas available in the immediate area and b) a few patrolmen walking the downtown on event nights simply to have a presence and give directions to folks who may not have been downtown in 20 years. Those would be minor costs compared to the contract with USA parking and would have a much more positive effect on the vibrancy of the City.
And, for those who may not know, street parking in the City is FREE in the evenings and there are dozens of lots that cost no more than $2 for the entire day.
Considering every other normal city with an arena has been charging for their parking for probably 20 years, how can anyone be surprised or mad? Welcome to 1990... (we'll get to 2008 eventually)
Well for one they just change things to st their needs. for another it is the wrong time to b doing this,the area is already losing money and this will not help. Who wants to walk 5 blocks to go see a concert?
For those of us who are old enough to remember, the initial "kiss of death" for the downtown was the city's refusal to permit free parking. All the new "Plaza's" had "free and ample parking", and won us over. Short-sighted greed helped kill downtown shopping.
History repeats itself unless you learn from your past.
Ok, how do we start a class action law suit against the city of Youngstown? We purchased tickets for next month shows knowing that a portion of the cost of the ticket provided us with free parking for the events. Now, all the sudden they want to charge us more? Should they have not given a grace period for the new parking arrangement? ANY ATTORNEY'S OUT THERE LOOKING TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK. SHOULD BE AN EASY AND QUICK LAW SUIT? What else can we do to destroy our city? I understand other cities pay well for parking, but we are not other cities we are struggling to become half of what they are.
I could understand charging a couple dollars, but geez, $10? What a racket, where are we, New York City?
Hey btc2319 - thats commical.
How exactly do you sue a city for not paying the bill so we can have free parking anymore. The City doesn't own the parking lots (never did) the Frangos Group does. The city has been forking over the cash for you to park for free for the last 3 years and decided not to do it anymore. It is no more part of the price of a ticket you bought than the price of a beer at a pub after the show would be.
I think we should thank the city for footing the bill for the last 3 years and move on to paying for private parking garages like every other city (major or otherwise) does. You dont go into Pittsburgh and expect to park for free - do you? Cleveland - dont think so. Akron - nope. . . Why should Youngstown?
And to roscoepc - parking on the streets is still free. These are privately owned parking garages. Everything the city owns is still free, and many of the open lots are after business hours as well.
If you dont like the price of the parking garages, by all means - dont pay it. Park on the street or in one of the free lots. They're a whole 200 yards further away. The walk'll do you good.
Either way - quit whining about the city not footing the bill for the parking garages anymore - they've paid for it long enough.
Not me, I have never been there and have no plans on ever going.
Shouldn't they have done a survey of those who use the Chevey Center what they would prefer, and if they lived in Youngstown. That would have been in the spirit of voting and election day!
It us unfair that City Council would cancel the contract for FREE parking and still not reduce the cost of the ticket price by the tax they imposed per ticket to pay for the Parking. ONLY the people of Youngstown lose again, the City still collects the tax, the public (Joe the Plumber) still pays the parking tax fee, and the Parking company begins charging. You can't blame them, They're not stupid. What's NEW? Just we the public get SNOOKERED AGAIN!