Santa Ana : Free Parking Scarce as New Garage Begun

Civic Center employees and visitors were left scrambling for free parking spaces this week when the Santa Ana Stadium parking lot was partially shut down as the county and the city of Santa Ana began building a three-story, $17-million garage in its place.

Half of the present lot--about 700 parking spaces--was fenced off so that workers could begin construction on the new garage, which is scheduled to open by next summer, according to Roger Kooi, downtown development manager for Santa Ana. The garage will provide 2,000 spaces to accommodate overflow parking from Civic Center visitors and employees. Unlike the stadium lot, the garage will not offer free parking.

On Monday, city workers had to direct commuters who usually park in the stadium lots to temporary parking spaces outside of the stadium, Kooi said. About 700 people called the city to request help in finding temporary parking spaces.

The new garage is one of two new parking facilities within the Civic Center area. Critics say that parking in the Civic Center will become increasingly expensive as free parking spaces become rare.

“It’s going to be a disaster,” said Pat Heike, a member of the Santa Ana library board. “People are not going to be able to afford parking near the Civic Center a year from now.” Heike has been pushing for free parking spaces for library patrons at the Civic Center parking lots.