J Magazine Winter 2019

Parking
Squeeze
With the Brooklyn area bustling, finding
a place to park is becoming a challenge
By CAROLE HAWKINS
Katherine Naugle works out of her
law office in Riverside, so Brooklyn is a
convenient place for her to shop over the
lunch hour. But there are days when it can
take her 10 minutes to track down a place
to park at The Fresh Market.
“It’s getting to be like Five Points,” she
said. “I have to circle and watch to find a
spot.”
Damien LaMar Robinson, who works at
the Garden Club, visits The Fresh Market a
couple of times a week.
“Whenever I come here, I say ‘There
is going to be a spot for me to park.’ And I
will it to be there,” he said laughing. “There
have been times when I’ve had to park all
the way down at the end of the [next center’s
lot], though, and walk over here.”
It doesn’t faze him. On Wednesdays
there’s a sushi special he likes — $5 for a
whole roll. Naugle keeps coming back, too.
“I’m willing to put up with the difficult
parking, because I enjoy The Fresh Market
and the restaurants. I love having all of this
here,” she said.
If someone six years ago had forecast
a parking squeeze for Brooklyn, everyone
would have laughed. That was before two
large apartment complexes came online,
and before Brooklyn Station opened and
brought next-generation shopping and
dining. And before the YMCA replaced its
aging, worn building with a destination
community and fitness center.
The surging popularity of Brooklyn has made
it increasingly difficult to find a parking place –
especially in The Fresh Market lot.
“I honestly am impressed by the
growth. This area is booming,” said Tim
Burrows, executive director of Brooklyn’s
Winston Family YMCA.
When the Y’s new building opened in
2016, its leaders predicted membership
would rise from 5,000 to 15,000 in six years.
Instead, it happened in three.
Brooklyn’s progress as a walkable urban
district has been exciting. But with success
comes growing pains. Brooklyn’s parking
is nearly maxed out. A parking study
delivered by a city consultant last summer
shows there are parts of the workweek
when Brooklyn has only eight extra public
spaces.
“Eight really isn’t a large supply,” said
Lori Boyer, CEO of the Downtown Investment
Authority. “Not if you’re talking about
some new construction coming in. There
are some places [Downtown] that have 150
extra spaces. But Brooklyn is quite tight.”
And more construction is coming to
Brooklyn.
The retail center is expanding. Panera
Bread and Chipotle will soon move in.
A seven-story Residence Inn by Marriott
is planned just west of Unity Plaza.
A third apartment complex that’s under
construction — Vista [Continued on page 95]
WILL DICKEY
88
J MAGAZINE | WINTER 2019