As I See It: Downtown development sheds light on old problem

Springfield has the best downtown area in the whole state, if not beyond even those confines. It is big enough to have what everyone needs and small enough to keep everything within walking distance. It is nestled in a relatively peaceful part of the world, with a low crime rate.

Couple this with the rapid growth of businesses and other operations in center city, particularly downtown and you can see that great things are happening. As if the number of bars, restaurants and clubs were not enough, the city is now working on a large civic park project and a multipurpose arena. One has to wonder, if things are going this good, where is the obligatory bad side?

If you have spent any length of time downtown, whether on a Friday night or in the thick of the work day, then you know what the down side is. Down here, parking spaces are as good as gold. Unfortunately, the price of this commodity is only going up.

I remember, as much as 10 years ago, there wasn't a whole lot going on in downtown. If you had a reason to go there, parking wasn't an issue. There were plenty to spare. Like many others, I was pleased as the years passed by and downtown grew back into a semblance of the popularity it used to have in days of yore. That warm fuzzy feeling came to end, however, when I saw that first lot sign requiring some dollars for the right to leave my car there. Today, those signs are everywhere and people hustle for the few free spaces that are left.

Well, I guess it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. If you look at the larger downtown areas in Kansas City and St. Louis, you will see the same thing.

Complaining about downtown parking is old hat, kind of like whining about having to pay taxes. But, if the pressure is not kept up and we do not stay proactive on this issue, it will turn around and bite us all on the collective rear end. It is already tiresome now, but with the continued rise of downtown's popularity and the impending Jordan Valley Park, we are going to see a spike in traffic in a very short time.

You will see what I mean that first hockey game in the currently proposed civic arena. Not only will the lots in the park be bulging at the seams, but so will those of the nearest bars after the game. With a minimum of 6,500 seats, that means about 2,000 cars will be looking for parking in center city. That, of course, depends on people down here having a taste for hockey.

At their last update, city officials have indicated that phase one of the Jordan Valley Park development will offer approximately 200 parking spaces. Is this enough? Probably not. Will the use of this new amenity spill over into established downtown parking territory? You bet.

Not only will the convenience of the individual be hampered by the inevitable parking shortage, but local businesses will be hit as well. We live in a "go-go-go" society and nobody likes to spend too much time on anything. As parking space shrinks, so will downtown business revenue.

Do we have solutions available? Yes and no. To create more parking spaces will require private landowners or the city to build "up or out." So, if we go up and build parking garages, those lots will be closed down for the months required to build a multi-level lot. If we go out and seek to expand horizontally, then some nice old buildings will have to be torn down.

People, including me, will always complain about parking downtown. But as the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. So, the next time you attend a public meeting on the matter make sure you ask lots of questions about plans for future parking.