If you haven't been downtown in the past few days, the entire old 710 building and parking area are now fenced off, pending demolition of the building and construction of the Carbondale Flats complex. In case you didn't know, most of that parking area west of the 710 strip belonged to the building owners. They had entered into an agreement with the city several years ago wherein the city installed parking meters and maintained the property in exchange for sharing the revenue from the meters.
The size of the parking area was far larger than needed most of the year for 710, Varsity Barber Shop and other occupants of the strip mall. Instead, students would use it to park free, rather than paying for a campus parking sticker, as the area sat across the street from the SIUC campus. Eventually, 710 decided it might as well generate revenue, as well as keep people from using it for long term parking at no charge, and in went the meters.
This will certainly affect a number of the businesses in downtown. While many of them have access to parking, much of it is shared with other businesses and can be difficult to access. The 710 lot is readily accessible from several directions and never filled, except during the first week or so of classes.
The size of the parking area was far larger than needed most of the year for 710, Varsity Barber Shop and other occupants of the strip mall. Instead, students would use it to park free, rather than paying for a campus parking sticker, as the area sat across the street from the SIUC campus. Eventually, 710 decided it might as well generate revenue, as well as keep people from using it for long term parking at no charge, and in went the meters.
This will certainly affect a number of the businesses in downtown. While many of them have access to parking, much of it is shared with other businesses and can be difficult to access. The 710 lot is readily accessible from several directions and never filled, except during the first week or so of classes.
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