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A buyer has shown interest in purchasing the Wilmington Street deck—putting free DTR parking on the line.
Downtown parking is in jeopardy again. The City of Raleigh is seeking approval from Council to move forward on selling the Wilmington Street Station Parking Deck—a move that already has sparked concerns from DTR businesses and employees.
Not only is the deck used for patrons visiting surrounding spots like Marbles, Landmark and Centro, but it has the highest usage of all decks participating in the free two-hour parking program, and ~50% of Small Business parking permits are used there.
Downtown Raleigh Alliance President/CEO Bill King says it is likely the new undisclosed owners would make it a 24/7 paid deck, stressing the sale would have a negative effect on nearby businesses—and Downtown as a whole. “This would be a big blow to Downtown,” he emphasizes. “We can’t afford to have fewer people visiting this area.”
The Transportation Department originally intended to put out an RFI on the Wilmington Street deck in the spring to gauge interest in selling the facility, but during the preparation, the City received an offer to purchase the deck outright. Now foregoing the RFI and public input, the City is asking Council for approval at the July 7 meeting to start the statutory upset-bid process.
The move comes after a handful of City-proposed efforts to offset the projected $8 million FY27 budget shortfall in its parking fund. Changes increasing off- and on-street parking while keeping the first two hours free in select decks will be implemented as soon as Aug. 1.
While those increases were allegedly supposed to cover the budget shortfall, City of Raleigh Public Information Officer Julia Milstead says, “Even with proposed increases to hourly, daily and monthly rates as part of the City’s adopted FY27 budget, there still remains a gap in funding to support the ongoing maintenance and operational needs [of these structures],” pointing to the deck’s “tax burden” on residents.
“We want to serve every child, regardless of income, financial status or resources. We’re trying to be as accessible [as possible] so that every child who wants to come to Marbles can—so having that deck right across the street is hugely impactful for us.” —Jonathan Frederick, Marbles Kids Museum
Marbles Kids Museum CEO Jonathan Frederick, who opposes the sale, stresses the deck is a critical source of free, accessible parking—and selling it would cause potential long-term impacts on both Marbles and the vitality of Downtown.
“Everyone that operates something down here really, really appreciates having that deck nearby—and what the city has done with the two hours free,” he says, adding that over half of Marbles’ guests use the Wilmington Street deck. “Eliminating this option creates real barriers—especially for families traveling with young children—and cannot be replaced by parking blocks away or with routes through the bus station.” Not to mention, he adds, a paid deck may price families out, leading to a drop in visitation and a threat to Marbles’ business model.
DRA is calling on the City to at least finish the parking study before selling. “We encourage the City to take the time to fully understand the value of each deck,” stresses King, “and to do the ground work and get public opinion before making any decision.”
Emailing City Council can also make a difference. Voice your opinions via [email protected].
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