Ninth Street businesses work together to make city parking free
DURHAM (WTVD) -- Local business owners on Ninth Street in Durham are banding together to try to make the city's pay-to-park lot free once more.
Right now, the city parking lot between Perry and West Markham Streets costs $1 per hour. Small business owners on Ninth Street say they want to make the space a two-hour free parking lot instead.
Tom Campbell, the co-owner of The Regulator Bookshop, said his business has taken a big hit since the city started charging for parking.
"People see it as a big hurdle, especially when all the other parking around here is free," Campbell said.
"Many of our customers come in here and say 'I'm glad nobody is falling for that paid parking across the street,' and I don't know exactly how to respond to them when they say that because on one hand 'Oh, you're not coming here as often,' but on the other hand, that's the way people feel," Campbell added.
The City of Durham leases the lot from a private company, and Campbell said he and other business owners want to cover that cost and make it free to shoppers again. Campbell said shop owners plan to do so by making monthly pledges of $100, $200, or more, to make up the cost.
"A parking lot that used to be full, and that is now empty, is not good for businesses here, and it's not good for the City of Durham," Campbell said.
The owner of a Ninth Streets shop called Honky Dory, Michael Bell, said they already have nine local businesses on board and that city officials say they're open to working with business owners on the project. Bell said he's lost $150 a day since the lot became pay-to-park.
Campbell said he hopes they can get enough local businesses on board. He said that free parking will benefit all local shop owners on Ninth Street, regardless of whether they participate or not.
Here are some of the Ninth Street shops who are pledging so far:
- Bernard's Formalwear
- Dain's Place
- Hunky Dory
- Ninth Street Flowers
- Playhouse Toy Store
- Subway
- The Computer Cellar
- The Regulator Bookshop
- Vaguely Reminiscent
