Central Parking selling 11 Nashville properties

[titanhog]

Wonder if any properties are downtown parking lots?

http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl...SINESS/70711038

[Richard Lawson]

Wonder if any properties are downtown parking lots?

http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl...SINESS/70711038

[titanhog]

Yep ... one of those is the lot on Church St. next to the Cornerstone Building

[jcoop]

this may seem like a really dumb question, but do we need to worry at some point about public parking for people going downtown. I know offices and residential usually have plenty of parking for workers and residents and I know at this point that if you are going to a concert or something at the sommet center that there is plenty of parking, especially in the sobro area, but when will that not be the case?

For instance, I went to hume-fogg for high school and because of price and because the lot behind the school couldn't accomodate everyone, students park over in sobro, sometimes in lots that might be affected by a new CC over there. Do you think maybe sobro needs a good public parking deck incorporated into some new development? Just a thought I had earlier today and this seemed like an appropriate thread for it...

[titanhog]

this may seem like a really dumb question, but do we need to worry at some point about public parking for people going downtown. I know offices and residential usually have plenty of parking for workers and residents and I know at this point that if you are going to a concert or something at the sommet center that there is plenty of parking, especially in the sobro area, but when will that not be the case?

For instance, I went to hume-fogg for high school and because of price and because the lot behind the school couldn't accomodate everyone, students park over in sobro, sometimes in lots that might be affected by a new CC over there. Do you think maybe sobro needs a good public parking deck incorporated into some new development? Just a thought I had earlier today and this seemed like an appropriate thread for it...

[Otenyuda]

Yeah...I almost think it should be a requirement for any new construction to have a parking garage that's not only for that building's tenants, but for the public as well. Maybe that's a bit too heavy-handed, but we do need to replace the surface lots with some sort of parking.

[titanhog]

Hi, Central Parking employee here. I wasn't planning to join this little forum but your comment prompted me to post: your idea is redonkulous (to use a word my kid uses all the time). Not only would it force every building owner to go into the fee-for-parking business (unless you expected them to provide those spaces for free ?? ) whether they want to or not, but it also promotes automobile usage at a time when we need to be encouraging mass transit IMO. Think about it, if there are no spaces downtown, that sets the perfect stage for more public transit use (whether bus or whatever they build).

Also, just curious: How will you figure out whether your idea is "too heavy-handed" or not?

[bwithers1]

Titanhog, I agree with you. Even if mass transit use picks up considerably, there will be a need for MORE parking downtown, not LESS, as there are more and more offices and cool things to do but not an obvious increase in public transit service. And while there are people moving into and around downtown, those numbers are still actually pretty small compared to the number that commute in from the outer city or the suburbs. Adding parking garages to the bottom floors of larger new buildings (or underground when feasible) is a start-up cost but actually would seem to be a source of revenue either for the building owner/condo association or a management company. Someone, please correct me if I am wrong, as I am only guessing. Presumably, having parking in the building (only an elevator ride away) would be a good convenience for a building to attract tenants. I think that is why so many of the large office buildings or other structures in larger cities have parking garages wrapped in the first few floors of their structures with street-facing, ground-floor retail, which is also a good thing.

Continuing that cycle, as demand for parking downtown rises, the increasing price to park can then actually boost the desirability of public transportation, which I agree is years if not decades away from being sufficient in Nashville. But we're working on it.

[franktown]

I was DT the other night and we were standing in line to park and I was hearing the grumblings from people about increased costs to park in DT (it was $10 at night) and saying that they will reconsider when they're deciding whether or not to come into DT. So....with fewer surface lots are we really just discouraging people from coming DT and spending money because of the high cost to park?

[jcoop]

well my point was not the cost of the parking...that is going to increase as the downtown nightlife, events etc. grow...And it will always be outrageous for special events....I just park in the faculty/staff lot for free behind Hume-Fogg haha

I was coming from the point of being someone who used to rely on some surface lots that now I hope will be gone, I would expect some kind of replacement. I also hope the surface lot behind Hume-Fogg gets something on it, but that will not affect students much, because they opt for the cheaper parking a few blocks away.

I'm not asking for stand-alone parking garages...mixed use is the best, but open to the public...but you have to remember people come downtown during the day and need places to park even if it's not on a regular basis. The underground courthouse parking was a great addition.

As we continue to develop downtown into a "destination" area for locals and tourists, don't we want to have a balance of wanting mass transit, but also allowing drivers to come without a huge hassle?

[nashscan]

Courthouse parking is the best deal going. $3 maximum as it's been for almost 10 years. I've got friends that insist on paying $10 to park in the commerce street garage.

[Otenyuda]

First...let me say that I find it a bit odd (or ironic) that a Central Parking employee would be espousing less parking spaces and mass transit, but I do agree that in a perfect world we would rely on public transportation alot more than we do now. Only problem is that mass transit will have to become a state of mind, not just a physical reality in Nashville, and nothing I've recently seen encourages me that this will happen in the near future.

Secondly...we've had a great deal of problems recently with new posters coming on UP and stirring things up to the point that they've been banned. I realize you probably mean no harm, but calling my idea "redonkulous" actually does no good and in many instances could cause a small war on this sight that inevitably ends in trouble. I doubt you want that, and I know I don't want it.

Thirdly...as I often do, I didn't go into detail and should have. Here goes...many on this sight would love nothing more than to see the downtown surface lots gone and something worthy for that high priced land be constructed there. My "heavy-handed" comment is based upon my personal belief that we shouldn't over-regulate those willing to spend money on a project in a capitalist soceity. So...I probably should have said that when a surface parking lot is sold to a developer, the city may do well to offer an incentive to that developer (instead of regulating) to add public parking in their parking garage. For the most part, only large bulidings (20-40 story buildings) will be built on these lots. Whether it's a business or condo tower, there will be need for parking until this city becomes more atuned to mass transit (which obviously is years away).

So...maybe you'll still disagree...and you're free to do that...but please, next time, maybe ask me what I mean in a nice manner and I'll be glad to oblige.

[titanhog]

Wow - why so touchy T-hog? This is why I had doubts posting - everything is a "small war". But since you make your reply such a personal attack, I will respond nicely to lessen the apparent tension:

firstly - You find it ironic that a central parking employee would be against an idea that creates a competitor within each new building constructed downtown? Please explain!

secondly - How can you see the word "redonkulous" and take that as a serious insult, especially when I was talking about your idea and not you? Again - chill out!!! Sorry if I offended you, no harm intended.

thirdly - your ill-conceived (how does that adjective suit you? ) idea about providing "incentives" to builders to install public parking lots is even worse than what I first thought you meant! Now you're proposing that the government should subsidize Central Parking's competitors? What do you think my opinion will be about that? I think the government should give CP a subsidy every month to keep us from not closing down all our public lots b/c the profit margins are not huge in nashville, regardless of what you might have heard. How does the idea of government subsidizing CP's competition jive with your idea of a "capitalist society"?

Thank you for your time and attention.