With the opening of the Roberts’ Stadium Club parking garage, the battle for parking in Midtown may be a thing of the past.
After a few months of construction, the garage officially opened Dec. 18 and is now available to students and residents to use.
It offers 75 regular parking spaces and four handicapped parking spaces, wrote Susan Schoen, the building’s property manager, in an email.
Parking prices start at $3 for the first hour and increase every half-hour to a price of $9.75 for the whole day. Guests are allowed to leave cars overnight until 6:30 a.m.
Special parking options for football season will be available in the Fall to give customers a “safe, secure and out-of-the-weather” parking location, Schoen said.
The building currently has two restaurants, a clothing store and a jewelry store leasing space.
However, employees in the building have to pay to park in the garage, Schoen said.
Alix Kissinger, the manager of Henri Girl — a clothing store in the building — doesn’t park in the garage and continues to use a street parking pass for that reason.
“We looked into rates, and they’re pretty pricey,” Kissinger said. “They mentioned swipe cards, and they were on the expensive side.”
However, Kissinger said she thinks the garage will help attract customers.
“I think we will (see an increase) now that it’s open, especially since we always have a lot of people calling, asking where they can park,” she said. “I think all the signs they have will help get the word out that the parking garage is open, and people will be more likely to park there and come in and shop.”
Kissinger said overnight parking options were a good idea for those who want to leave their cars somewhere safe.
Some students expressed mixed feelings about the garage.
Shane Coll, a 19-year-old UF computer science freshman, said he doesn’t see himself using the parking garage.
“It’s easier just to walk,” he said. “There’s no reason to park there. It’s so close to campus.”
Dylan Abeles, an 18-year-old UF aerospace engineering freshman, said the garage could be convenient.
But he agreed that it’s easier to walk than park in the garage.
“It could be worth it if you get a good spot,” he said. “But if I’m not in a rush or anything, I’d just park on campus.”
The garage was the last part of the luxury condo and retail complex to be completed in Summer.
A version of this story ran on page 5 on 1/7/2014 under the headline "New Roberts’ Stadium Club garage offers Midtown parking"
Students and residents can now park in a new garage on Northwest First Avenue and Northwest 18th Street. The garage is an extension of the Roberts’ Stadium Club. Parking starts at $3 for one hour.
