Title
PARKING RATE REVIEW - PARKING ALONG THE WATERFRONT AND EVENING PARKING
Seven individuals (Ms. C. Benoit of the Barrie Film Festival, Mr. C. Stevens of the Downtown Barrie Business (BIA), Mr. Roly Harris, Ms. Laura Zawadiuk on behalf of Theatre by the Bay, Ms. Marianne Cancilla, Mr. Gary McCluskey, Mr. Peter Bursztyn and Mr. John Fisher) addressed the Committee concerning the Parking Rate Review - Parking Along the Waterfront and Evening Parking and provided comments and concerns related to the following:
* The negative impact extended parking hours would have on attendance at evening Theatre and Film Events in the downtown as patrons will not want to feed the meter;
* Parking is free at other cinema/theatre venues in the City;
* The Barrie Film Festival has had to make significant capital investments to address changes in technology recently that are increasing their costs:
* Ticket prices for Barrie Film Festival events have recently been increased for the first time to address HST and evening paid parking in addition to increased ticket prices may prevent patrons from attending film and theatre events;
* The loss of the primary venue for the Barrie Film Festival should the Uptown Theatre be unable to compete;
* The BIA model to create a complete parking program to create a value added service that is marketable, convenient for patrons and provides financial sustainability through 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 12 months a year parking operations with a two hour free parking anytime/anywhere component;
* The patchwork approach of the current parking program;
* Other municipalities' approaches to the provision of a limited number of hours of free parking;
* The potential to utilize the BIA's parking model and to explore further the cost and revenue implications of their proposal that initially indicate a net profit of several million dollars;
* Evening parking operations would encourage patrons to shop at big box retailers and malls where p...
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