If you drive around downtown Scranton, you probably know that parking is a hot commodity. As one city garage gets a facelift, another new garage is in the works.
At Pierre's Clothing Shop on Spruce Street in Scranton, owner Pierre Mancuso couldn't be more excited about additional parking near his store just in time for the holidays.
"As you get closer to Christmas, people get panicked, and they want to get in and get out quickly," Mancuso said, "The closer the parking lots, the better."
Parking authority officials said the Oppenheim parking garage in the 100 block of North Washington Avenue will be done by December of this year, bringing another 233 parking spaces to downtown, along with space for a business on the first floor.
Another project that is ongoing is the rehabilitation of another city garage on courthouse square. A brick façade is being added to the exterior and some repairs have already been made. Work started two weeks ago and should be finished by December. The garage remains open for parking while the work is being done.
Scranton Parking Authority Executive Director Bob Scopelitti said, "The appearance alone will make a big impact on the downtown. It's a very prominent corner there. St. Patrick's Day parade, Italian festival are all held there. It's been long overdue to do a rehab on that garage."
While many commuters will agree that more parking is a good thing, there are some drivers who think the city controls too much parking.
Dawn Rossignol, who works downtown, likes to park in a privately owned lot and pays less than the city charges per month. "This parking lot down here, this guy owns it personally. He's making a living," Rossignol said, "where the rest of the parking garages in the area, the city's making money off of it."
When it opens, parking rates for the new Oppenheim garage will be the same as the rest of the city's garages.
At Pierre's Clothing Shop on Spruce Street in Scranton, owner Pierre Mancuso couldn't be more excited about additional parking near his store just in time for the holidays.
"As you get closer to Christmas, people get panicked, and they want to get in and get out quickly," Mancuso said, "The closer the parking lots, the better."
Parking authority officials said the Oppenheim parking garage in the 100 block of North Washington Avenue will be done by December of this year, bringing another 233 parking spaces to downtown, along with space for a business on the first floor.
Another project that is ongoing is the rehabilitation of another city garage on courthouse square. A brick façade is being added to the exterior and some repairs have already been made. Work started two weeks ago and should be finished by December. The garage remains open for parking while the work is being done.
Scranton Parking Authority Executive Director Bob Scopelitti said, "The appearance alone will make a big impact on the downtown. It's a very prominent corner there. St. Patrick's Day parade, Italian festival are all held there. It's been long overdue to do a rehab on that garage."
While many commuters will agree that more parking is a good thing, there are some drivers who think the city controls too much parking.
Dawn Rossignol, who works downtown, likes to park in a privately owned lot and pays less than the city charges per month. "This parking lot down here, this guy owns it personally. He's making a living," Rossignol said, "where the rest of the parking garages in the area, the city's making money off of it."
When it opens, parking rates for the new Oppenheim garage will be the same as the rest of the city's garages.
