Save parking garage on Pelissier

By Fabricio Rivera

 

Windsorites are concerned about the elimination of the free one-hour parking and the increase in parking rates at the municipal parking garage on Pelissier Street-businesses and residents are signing a petition in an attempt to save the garage.

The parking garage on Pelissier Street was built in 1979 and had ground-level retail spaces added in 1984.

Debi Croucher, who is a member of the Windsor Downtown Business Improvement Association, started a petition for signatures in hopes of saving the parking garage.

“The petition has over 1000 signatures and continues to grow,” Said Croucher who feels free parking plays an important part in local business and the elimination of the parking garage will have negative effects.

“The free one-hour parking is an incentive roll for people who are coming to shop, have a meal, to drink or visit family.”

The retail space on the main level will also face changes.

“The city has put out a request for proposals for a tenant, developer, or a property owner to take over managing the commercial space,” said Croucher.

The increase of rates and elimination of the free hour affects not only business owners but everyday Windsorites. Akram Aoun uses the building frequently and said he is not looking forward to the elimination of the free hour and the rate increase. He often visits his mother and frequents  the attractions downtown and has done so for over four years.

“It’s gonna be a big inconvenience if they revoke the free hour and people will not often come. Only if they need to visit City Hall,” said Aoun.

“There’s a lot of outings that take place downtown, people use the garage to go out for dinner, or to see a play at the Capitol Theatre, visit the nightclubs. The garage…is a major key factor in visiting the downtown mosaic.”

Pelissier is a secondary street but the DWBIA is still asking for signatures to save the parking garage on Pitt and Pelissier, along with preserving the characteristics of the area.