DNC likely will not affect parking space

Experts predict plenty of spaces will be available

By Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 11, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Photo by Brian Lehmann © The Rocky

Tom Kamholz, a parking attendant at a lot at 16th and Market streets in downtown Denver, checks his cell phone Sunday. Most downtown lots aren't expecting a deluge of business from the DNC.

A break from fear and loathing among downtown Denver's regulars over the impact of the Democratic National Convention comes from an unlikely source - parking lots.

LaRay Brown, general manager of Central Parking Systems, which operates most of downtown's public parking lots, says there won't be price gouging during the convention. He also says that more spaces than normal may be available.

What? No dire warnings of disaster and the end of civilization as downtown knows it?

"We may see a 15 to 20 percent drop in business because we believe the local business won't be here as much that week," Brown said. "We're not planning on having any rate increases. I hear that there are one or two facilities that think they may increase rates."

Daily parking rates downtown run in the $10 to $15 range.

Many visitors to the DNC Aug. 25-28 will be transported by chartered buses or other methods, and Brown said some businesses may take down time during convention week. That could result in less than normal routine traffic downtown.

"I worked the Olympics in Atlanta and I've seen things like this occur," Brown said. "This is exactly like the NBA All-Star Game we had. We overplanned for parking and then the customer base for the event didn't arrive by auto.

"There will be a lot of bus traffic, but for the most part we don't expect heavy auto traffic from the convention."

Aylene Quale, manager of transportation and special projects for the Downtown Denver Partnership, said some owners have rented their lots to event coordinators, media organizations and others, with some success.

Many lots on the Auraria campus across from Pepsi Center, site of the convention's first three days, have been taken by the Democratic National Convention Committee for tents and pavilions. The campus is closed to classes and other activities during convention week.

But Brown said the rental market hasn't been brisk.

"There has been limited activity as far as DNC people wanting to rent parking lots," he said. "We just had a couple properties where people wanted to conduct surveys and places where news media want to set up their trucks."

Brown thinks the folks planning to avoid downtown during the convention are going to miss a piece of history.

"I'm planning on being here every single evening," he said, "to see who's who."

flynnk@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5247

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