After parking rates in downtown Gainesville rose in July, some customers and business owners are worried about the future of downtown life.
Home to multiple small businesses ranging from nutritional food to records, downtown Gainesville is an eclectic spot many UF students and Gainesville residents frequent. Approved in a March 21 Gainesville City Commission meeting, a new pricing system for downtown parking was implemented over the summer. The city proposed the changes after receiving feedback from downtown stakeholders and analyzing a 2023 parking study.
The city’s goal in enforcing these parking rates is to decrease the amount of time spent in “high demand” spaces in the popular parking areas of downtown Gainesville, according to Rossana Passaniti, a spokesperson for the city.
After the changes, parking in the center of downtown Gainesville costs 50 cents an hour with a two-hour time limit for on-street spaces on weekdays, according to the City of Gainesville. Outside of the “downtown core,” parking is slightly cheaper — 25 cents an hour or less, with no time limit.
For off-street parking on weekdays, it’s 50 cents an hour with no time limit. In the Southwest Parking Garage on weekdays, there’s no time limit, and it’s also 50 cents an hour.
Permits can also be granted, which cost $40 monthly or $100 quarterly, according to the city’s website. Employees of downtown businesses can purchase a discounted monthly permit at $20 per month.
On weekends and holidays, parking downtown will be free. This excludes parking spots in downtown’s Southwest garage.
The new parking rates raise concerns amongst businesses residing in downtown Gainesville.
Melanie Floyd is the owner of GainzvilleHub, a small business in downtown Gainesville that serves smoothies and food. She said she's concerned about how parking has impacted her customers’ experience when going downtown.
“People don’t want and shouldn’t pay when wanting to visit a local shop,” Floyd said.
Other businesses are also concerned about these new parking rates, including Andrew Schare, the owner of Hear Again Records, a record store in downtown Gainesville.
“I think it’s a big turn-off for a lot of people who have been used to going downtown,” he said. “Maybe three times a week someone will see something they want. Now they have to pay the city.”
The issue is also concerning to Schare as a Gainesville resident, he said. He’s lived in Gainesville almost his whole life, and he thought his tax dollars were already going toward maintaining public streets.
When the idea to change parking downtown was first proposed in 2022, Schare gathered “well over a thousand” signatures from people at the counter of the store, he said.
“We submitted a survey we did among all the business owners,” Schare said. “I guess it just fell upon, I guess intentionally, deaf ears.”
To some customers, the changes in parking prices make it inconvenient to drive to and park downtown.
Jayme Rudd, a 20-year-old UF business junior, travels downtown often to spend time at Wyatt’s Coffee.
“I used to go downtown pretty often during the week because I like to study at local shops there,” she said. “Now, I do not want to go through the hassle of having to pay to park.”
Customers can pay with any of the six pay stations and can pay with coins, credit cards or the Passport Parking App, according to the City of Gainesville.
The new rates will go into full effect mid-August and are expected to be enforced starting Sept. 16.
Contact Sofia Meyers at smeyers@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sofiameyer84496.
