The newly renovated parking lot behind Cleveland's iconic West Side Market will soon see new management.
On Monday night, Cleveland City Council voted to hire a third party contractor to manage and maintain the lot. According to city officials, the contractor will be responsible for basic maintenance such as snow and debris removal, stripping, security and the collection of parking fees.
The contract will be in place for three years.
For several months council members and vendors from the West Side Market have told News 5 paid parking will be implemented once the lot reopened.
During Monday night's meeting, the parking fees were discussed. At this point, no rates have been established however city officials are exploring a couple of options.
They said, most likely, the first hour of parking will be free, then visitors will charged either $1 or $2 for every hour after with a $10 maximum. No date has been set for the parking fees.
But, many vendors with the market said the paid parking could deter patrons from visiting one of Cleveland's oldest landmarks. Since construction began on the lot vendors told News 5 their business took a big hit. Some said they were down 40-50 percent.
Just this month more than 100 vendors signed a petitionasking for a reduction in rent as a compensation of lost business.
