HOUSTON – Shoppers tired of spending a half hour trying to find a parking spot at Rice Village might find some relief in the near future.
Trademark Property Co. has announced Phase I of a multimillion-dollar renovation of the 296,000-square-foot property, and part of the plan includes improved parking.
"It's a little frustrating when I'm trying to meet someone or be somewhere," said Jessica Martinez, who shops at Rice Village about twice a week.
"I hate it, that's why I never come," said shopper Marcela Asfouri, who has spent 40 minutes trying to find a parking spot.
Researchers at Rice University's Kinder Institute of Urban Research recently came out with a study, which provided suggestions on how to improve the overall experience at Rice Village and that included ways to improve parking. Surprisingly, the key to parking relief does not mean adding more spaces.
"It's not so much a supply issue," said Kyle Shelton, a postdoctoral fellow for the Kinder Institute. "What our report found is that at any given time and even at the peak time of demand, there were at least 1,000 parking spaces."
Some of the empty spaces are reserved for specific shops and others are in privately run garages.
Some of the study's suggestions include adding metered parking and making garage parking more high-tech. Trademark Property Co. says it plans to do the latter in Phase 1 by automating garage parking, rather than shoppers paying an attendant. Trademark Property Co. also plans to improve signage and lighting in the parking garage.
Other Phase I renovations include updated landscaping, more public art and more outdoor seating. It is set to be completed in March.