St. Catharines Downtown Association

Businesses in the downtown core are hurting, and a hike to parking fees could create another barrier to attracting customers, says the chair of the St. Catharines Downtown Association.
The City of St. Catharines is planning to increase fees associated with hourly parking, monthly parking permits and parking fines, and downtown association chair Jennifer Anderson said the organization objects to the increase in hourly meter rates, from $1.25 an hour to $1.50. Businesses in the downtown core, she said, have already felt the brunt of major infrastructure projects, and more interruptions are pending. She said it has led to a tough go for businesses downtown.
“We want to remind you our beleaguered membership have endured traffic and parking disruptions over the past three years and for many of them they only have significant further disruptions over the next two years to look forward to,”  Anderson told council Monday. “They see any measures that increase cost of on-street parking at this juncture as one of an uncaring city hall for their predicament.”
The city has looked at a special promotion period to try and assist with the transition. On Monday night council approved one hour of free parking at the Carlisle Street parking garage for a promotion for 2012, and also agreed to hold the line at $1.25 an hour for the Garden Park, Raymond Street and St. Paul/Westchester off-street parking lots for 2012 as well. The meter price increase will go into effect in January.
While the downtown association appreciates the interim steps, which also include the development of a comprehensive long-range parking strategy, she presented a list of seven key issues that affect downtown businesses.
The underground service infrastructure that began in April of 2009 and continued for two years in the area of Ontario, King, St. Paul, and William Streets, led to reported “aggregate losses in excess of $120,000” for six of the area’s key merchants.
“The businesses in these areas still have not been able to achieve the level of financial security they did prior to the start of the watermain construction,” she said.
Now, the balance of St. Paul Street is scheduled for watermain replacement in 2012, and “you will appreciate the nervousness of many of the merchants along that lengthy and busy street”, said Anderson.
Parking losses around downtown, whether for construction of the Carlisle Street garage, or work at city hall, have also impacted businesses.
“(Merchants) relied on these parking spaces for their customers and were assured last year that they would not have to endure another holiday season like last year’s,” said Anderson.
Tisha Polocko, executive director of the St. Catharines Downtown Association, also spoke to council, and called on the city to start development of the comprehensive parking strategy, with a target to complete the process by fall of 2012.
Coun. Mathew Siscoe sympathized with the association and said the parking strategy is long overdue, and while he understands some major projects will be coming onstream with investments in downtown, such as the Performing Arts Centre and spectator facility, those will take time.
“A lot of the investments have not come on line yet and a lot of merchants are just holding on now,” said Siscoe. “I am not in favour of adding another burden on top of the already heavy load.”

Please see full story in Niagara This Week at:

http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/article/1264304--downtown-group-opposes-parking-fee-increase