CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — The City of Cleveland Heights said its Fire Inspection Service shut down the city-owned Surrey Road parking garage and deck near Cedar Rd. on Feb. 2 after a complaint turned up falling concrete.
The parking facility is in the Cedar Fairmount Business District, often called the gateway to Cleveland Heights.
Kate Baker owns Still Point Gallery and Boutique on Cedar Rd. The parking garage and deck are located behind her business.
“We chose this (location) because we had the really nice, big parking lot out back,” Baker said. “And it seemed like a win/win."
Area business owners said the closure of the parking facility is a tough blow. Nearly 100 spaces are now closed to permit holders and the public. Baker said the location was convenient for customers.
“There are only so many spots out front, and then that's all there is besides these lots,” Baker said. “Now people don't know where to park or they can't find a place to park and business has dropped off."
The parking woes have Baker in limbo. She’s currently preparing fall inventory.
"I don't know how much this is going to impact, so I'm not sure how to buy,” Baker said.
At a Feb. 5 city council meeting, the city administrator spoke about the closed parking facility.
“Previous leaders didn't have the resources to really do the kind of maintenance and upkeep that we all would have wanted, and now we're faced with the consequences,” said Danny Williams. “At this point the conclusion is that it’s not really safe to open any part of that garage in the immediate future. In the meantime, we’ve also been reaching out to the local businesses that have been immediately impacted by this closure to see what, if anything, we can do to ease the inconvenience."
Lynn Quintrell owns Appletree Books. She's worried about potentially losing customers and sales.
"If they don't know where to park they're not going to come here and that's the concern," Quintrell said.
She said she and other business leaders have been flagging the garage’s deteriorating condition to the city for years.
"The city has egg all over its face on this on this project, in my opinion,” Quintrell said.
"Are you worried this is going to be prolonged — the closure?" asked News 5’s Damon Maloney.
When asked if she was worried the closure was going to be prolonged, Quintrell responded: “Let me just say this. I'm not worried. I'm a realist. It is going to be a long process. We'll see what happens. Maybe also it could be an opportunity to do something more creative back there. Perhaps this is an opportunity for them to do something green, artistic, (and) creative."
The city said an outside engineering firm is looking at options for the closed garage and deck, including what it would cost to repair it and the cost of a complete demolition and replacing the structure with a surface lot. The city said a final report from the engineering firm should be available by the end of the month.
In the meantime, the city said arrangements have been made for permit holders to park nearby in a private lot. The city said the public is encouraged to find on-street parking nearby.
Quintrell would like to see the city offer a better parking solution to the public.
"The city also should be negotiating with the owner of the Top of the Hill parking garage to make parking a little bit more reasonable than what they're currently charging so that people feel there is an alternative," she said.
