I re-iterate my strong support for the decision made by this council to provide 2 hour free on-street parking in the downtown. This decision has been very popular with the entire city. A survey conducted by the city last year indicated overwhelming support for this initiative. Not only was it popular, but a significant number of consumers revealed that it had resulted in changes to their shopping patterns. The city likes it.
As a 35 year downtown retailer I ask you to consider the following before rescinding such a wise and popular decision:
1) Recession: Retail has been hard hit by the current recession.
2) Construction: Downtown Guelph retailers have been especially affected by infrastructure construction all around the downtown.
Businesses and their customers have experienced severe problems with access, noise, and general disorderliness. It has gone on for months and we are all aware that we have to live through many more months of the same. We estimate that this disruption has cost our business alone between $80,000 to $100,000 in lost sales. The entire downtown area is paying a big price for this infrastructure.3) Economic Development: Economic development projects that would provide positive economic impact on the downtown have been postponed as a result of major restructuring of capital spending priorities. The delay of projects such as the Baker street/Library opportunity, and the Wilson street parkade means that the economic stimulus that we have all anticipated from these projects will be delayed.
4) Parking is a service, not a business: The true measurement of success in the downtown is its economic vitality – basically sales$/SF or rent$/SF which translates into assessment $/SF. In the retail/ commercial world of Guelph as a whole, parking is an ancillary service
– not an end in itself. Success will never be determined by measuring the revenues generated by parking.A final thought: Imagine a serious recession, where Stone Rd and Edinburgh Rd are sporadically impassable for months, and a planned expansion for a major tenant is delayed, and vacancies created to make room for that major tenant are empty and in disrepair without so much as brown paper on the windows. Would a commercial development manager faced with this scenario decide that it was a prudent moment to add parking meters to help with operating budget shortfalls? Methinks not. DM