Saturday night at the club downtown could get a bit more expensive in the near future, and contrary to the city's hopes, we don't think that's going to attract more customers.
The City of Gainesville could be eliminating free parking downtown - a move city officials hope will attract more business to the area. The 77 free spots would get meters.
They contend that people planning to go downtown become discouraged when they see that there are no more free parking spots available. Putting meters in those spots, city officials say, will encourage employees to park further away from their businesses, freeing up the closer spots for potential customers.
We don't think charging for parking is going to help the matter.
At a time when students' pockets have more lint than coin, taking away something that's free is not the way to go.
We understand that it will likely produce more parking turnover and that the project will likely pay for itself in a few years.
But whether it's a leisurely lunch or a gin-soaked, stumblin'-to-your-friend's-car kind of night, making a trip downtown more expensive will definitely deter students from going at all.
We already have cheaper options in midtown. And those of us who already frequent our beloved dives off University Avenue (not anyone on this staff, of course) aren't going to appreciate bigger crowds when folks decide that heading downtown isn't worth it.
