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Some of the spaces in the multi-story parking garage at The Standard apartments by the University of Florida could be open to the general public under a proposal being put forth by Gainesville City Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos.
The City Commission will discuss his idea at its Nov. 18 meeting.
The Standard has a parking garage at Northwest 13th Street and Northwest Third Avenue that can’t offer parking to the general public due to its planned development zoning.
Hayes-Santos said he’s noticed many empty spaces in the parking garage for the 10-story off-campus apartment building that could be put to good use, especially with the parking woes in the midtown area.
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Landmark Properties is prohibited from letting non-residents park
Under the city’s development agreement with The Standard, building owner Landmark Properties is not allowed to let anyone who is not a Standard resident or associated with a business in the building to park in the garage.
“It would be removing the restrictions,” Hayes-Santos said of his proposal.
Hayes-Santos said this would simply give Landmark Properties the option of letting the public use some of its unused spaces for free or for a fee. That decision would be up to Landmark Properties, he said.
“I would be shocked if they did it for free,” Hayes-Santos said. “I don’t think they are going to do it for free.”
Hayes-Santos said there is a significant amount of unused parking in the garage.
“With all those empty spaces just sitting there, we should allow them to be used by people who want to use them,” he said.
Kelly Gray, the director of public relations for Landmark Properties Inc., said the company is open to Hayes-Santos’ proposal.
“At the moment, we are restricted in offering public parking,” she said in an email on Tuesday. “However, we are open to conversations with the city to discuss what it could look like if we are able to ease those restrictions.”
She said there are 1,146 spaces in the parking deck, with 684 available for residents, 306 spaces for retail tenants and their customers, 144 reserved spaces for the AC Hotel Gainesville Downtown and 12 spaces for a church.
“Currently, retail parking is available for $4 per hour. Retail tenants can provide parking validation when customers purchase from their retail establishment,” she said.
The number of open spaces on Tuesday in the garage increased the higher the floor, with numerous open spaces on floors three and up.
One of the entrance gates into the deck was broken, so people could just drive in without a pass.
Different floors of the garage are set aside for different businesses, with student parking on the upper floors.
An example from AC Hotel Gainesville Downtown
For example, Target has the third floor of the garage and AC Hotel Gainesville Downtown – Marriott employees and customers use the fourth and fifth floors of the garage, with numerous open spaces on both of those floors on Tuesday.
Haley Swanson, who was working at the front desk of the AC Hotel on Tuesday, said she is concerned that if the general public is allowed to park in the garage, it would mean fewer spaces for businesses like the hotel, which could mean employees might have a hard time finding a place to park.
“There are so many people that live in The Standard, and so many employees here, I don’t think allowing (parking) for the public would be a good thing,” she said. “I don’t feel like it should be open to just anybody.”
As he waited in line at Starbucks across the street from The Standard, Standard resident Justin Forgas said residents have designated parking spaces so he should not have trouble getting a space regardless of what happens. But he said he hopes that if the public is allowed to use spaces in the garage, it is only allowed in a designated area and not all over the garage.
“I don’t think there are enough empty spaces to completely open it up (to the public),” Forgas said.
As she was walking past the Krispy Kreme on Northwest 13th Street, Alex Abreu said she likes the idea of some of the spaces in the garage being made available to the general public.
She said she lives a few blocks away from The Standard on 13th Street.
“I also don’t have a car but I know my roommate struggles for parking all the time, and having those spaces (in The Standard) would be very helpful. Parking is so hard to find on side streets,” she said.
https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2021/11/09/university-florida-gainesville-public-parking-standard-apartments-garage/6238188001/
