3-Hour Free Parking Made Permanent at Horton Plaza

Horton Plaza patrons will get three hours of free parking in its parking structure under a program made permanent this week after six months of experimentation, officials of the shopping center have announced.

The program, essentially a continuation of a policy that began before Christmas, offers three hours of free parking between 9:15 a.m. and 5 p.m. and a rate of $1 per hour thereafter. Parking is free after 5 p.m.

Merchants and customers were so overwhelmingly in favor of continuing the policy that Horton Plaza officials decided to make it permanent, despite fears that downtown office workers would park in the eight-level structure, said Ron Burns, assistant general manager.

“If somebody chooses to park in the garage, there is not a whole lot we can do because it’s open to the public,” Burns said. “We’re in a downtown environment and the spaces we do have are very valuable.”

When Horton Plaza opened in August, its complex parking rate structure confused and angered some shoppers, some of whom were paying $9 or more for parking.

There were separate rates for those who made purchases worth at least $7, for people who only window-shopped, a nighttime rate and different charges on weekends.

On Nov. 9, Horton Plaza officials changed the fee structure for the holiday season. The program was scheduled to end in January but was continued indefinitely until the decision this week.