The opening of The Chauncey, Iowa City’s newest high-rise building, is changing the rules at the city’s Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp, the city’s Transportation Services Department announced on Friday morning.
The City of Iowa City’s Transportation Services Department has been working to best accommodate current users and new neighbors. There will be additional signage on the second and third level of the ramp to help both visitors and permit holders.
The spaces from Level 1-3 that do not have signage can be used by visitors or permit holders. The upper level of the ramp will be reserved for permit holders only from Monday-Friday.
The department said it would increase the number of parking enforcement workers at the ramp “over the next few weeks to help with this transition.”
FilmScene, one of The Chauncey’s tenants, will hold its grand opening on Friday, Sept. 20.
The Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp is located at 415 E Washington St.
Hey, Iowa City officials! Can we please get some more downtown parking?
It wasn’t enough that they applied 12.1 million dollars in TIF spending on top of a tax payer funded 2.1 million dollar grant. Now they’re annexing a public parking ramp to provide parking to wealthy high rise dwellers while the rest of the city loses access to our downtown businesses and culture. The rest of the city suffers while they pour good money on top of bad developing what once was a thriving downtown culture.
It’s for these reasons I’m looking forward to leaving Iowa City and Johnson county as soon as possible.
Let’s just face it, apparently the only things The City wants downtown for is the students and football fans. They don’t want shopping – unless it’s something students want. They don’t want entertainment unless it’s bars. They don’t want anyone living there unless they have an annual income over $100,000 or don’t mind living in apartments that are tiny, over priced and directed at students.
They don’t want grown ups downtown. If they do encourage adults to go downtown, it’s in the summer for festivals, when they want to bring in as many out of towners as they can – and i have no problem with that. The rest of the year (that would be the other nine months) it has been willing given over to the University population to the detriment of anyone else who lives in town.
The even changed the light sequence at the corner of Clinton and Iowa to accommodate the pedestrians and stop traffic from moving through smoothly. Was it really so hard for people to wait till they had an ‘all walk’? At least then everyone knew when the pedestrians would be in the street and not have them wandering out against the light as often.
It’s not “downtown Iowa City” anymore. It’s on campus, and they’re clearly not interested in having residents there.
Prove me wrong.
> They don’t want entertainment unless it’s bars.
There’s a new independent cinema and bowling alley going in the building. Has the city actively prevented anybody from opening other forms of entertainment venues/businesses?
> They don’t want grown ups downtown.
What makes you say that? In the last 10 years a handful of new restaurants and nicer bars that are definitely not geared toward the average college student have opened. Downtown has always been a melting pot of locals and students, I don’t see any evidence that the scales have really tipped in favor of college students.
> The even changed the light sequence at the corner of Clinton and Iowa to accommodate the pedestrians and stop traffic from moving through smoothly.
Locals are pedestrians too. Not sure I understand what you are even complaining about…waiting an extra minute? Don’t drive downtown then man. Besides, according to you there’s nothing good about downtown anymore anyway, so why are you even AT that intersection?
By restricting who has access because of ability to walk yes, they have.
New bars and restaurants or not they are still only bars and restaurants: that they are that are ‘definitely not geared toward the average college student’ is only evident by the price of things, which brings it back to having enough money to be there. That isn’t about gearing toward grown ups, that’s gearing toward wealth. I’m not saying the city can say who does and doesn’t get alcohol licences – I’ve been here for that entire State v City debacle – but I also don’t see the city doing anything to help any businesses – with tax breaks for example – that aren’t serving alcohol. (In my opinion a TIF grant to the builder does not count as helping the businesses in the building since the businesses are unaffected by that grant)
The pedestrians crossing aren’t the problem – that isn’t a “complaint”, that is confusion toward taking something that was safe and making it less safe for both parties. Cars don’t want to move if there are pedestrians looking as if they will be trying to decide whether or not to cross, so the cars stop moving. That makes getting to the cinema in time to see the movie just that much harder. It is an example of not playing to strengths. And by doing so, creating a less welcoming environment for people who can’t walk there.
“Don’t drive downtown then man. Besides, according to you there’s nothing good about downtown anymore anyway, so why are you even AT that intersection?” Because it is my hometown and I give a shit about it. That’s why. This sentence of yours is the same as saying “if you don’t love the US then leave”. No. No sir! You do not get to discount my opinion unless two generations (at least) of your family has been born here too. I get to give a shit about my home.
Usually there is a waiting list for city ramp spots. Do the wealthy Chauncey residents get to skip the line?