Civic Center Parking: What is the Right Price for Parking?

What is the right price for parking to charge patrons who are attending events at the Pensacola Civic Center?

I received the below email comment from a frustrated constituent:

"I’d like to who [SIC] approved another $2.00 increase in parking Fees at the BC after raising the parking fees $5.00 just about a year ago? $12.00 to park at a substandard facility is a slap in the face to the patrons."

So I asked staff to look into this issue--and the max charged in lots controlled by the Civic Center is supposed to be $10.00--not $12.00.  Here is what I found out from my staff query about the parking:

The Bay Center has 3 parking lots in front and 1 in back that hold approx. 1,069 parking spaces  

       

• Front                        288
• Trolley 1                  138
• Trolley 2                  178
• Back                         465

        Total                      1,069

 (historically, the Civic Center had 16 acres for event parking before the tech park was built across the street on the south side of the facility)

• The Parking ticket fees are collected in the parking lot by the Winterfest organization. Bay Center has a contract with Winterfest.
• Parking fees are $10 for all tickets in Bay Center lots, other lots managed by Winterfest can be $20 or more per space.
• All tickets are reconciled to cash collected per event.
• Event and parking fees are separate and collected separately.
• Event parking is $10.
• Hockey can charge up to $12 for parking in the front lot--all other lots are $10 for Hockey.

(Comparable location event parking fees:)

• New Orleans - $20-50
• Mississippi Coliseum - $10
• Mobile - $5 (Generally do not have events)
• Tallahassee Arena - $10
• Baton Rouge - $10
• Warf - Free

 History of fees:

• 1985-1993 - $1
• 1993-2014 - $3 + Ticket price
• 2014 - $5
• 2015 - $10/Events/Concerts   $5 Hockey
• January 2019 – All parking $10