Free event parking at Rudolph lot going away
The so-called “Rudolph Parking Lot” near the Don Haskins Center will not longer be available for free parking.
The lot was the former site of an auto dealership and was bought back in 2010 by Campus Developers LLC, which planned to develop multiple mixed use residential buildings similar to Montecillo.
The mixed use development never materialized and Tuesday it was announced the lot is now being managed by Parking Systems of America.
The Rudolph Lot will continue to operate as normal, split between free parking and RV parking, for the remainder of the football season.
When the college basketball season begins, parking will cost $5 for per vehicle for all men’s and women’s home games.
A local business owner ABC-7 spoke with said the end of free parking could impact her restaurant. “Every time there is a concert or a game, people tend to park in our parking lot,” said April Benson, owner of the Tea Spout, located next to the Rudolph Lot.
Benson explained free parking negatively impacted her business because people who want to come in for a drink had a hard time finding a spot. With the free parking disappearing, she fears it could get worse.
“People are looking for a free place to park and five dollars isn’t a lot, but if they can find somewhere to park for free 50 feet away, they are going to do it,” Benson added.
