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Does Stratford need a downtown parking garage?

The ongoing debate about the Erie Street parking lot continues, with a parking garage again surfacing as an idea.

Stratford City Council are mulling options about what to do about the lot.

Time is of the essence.

According to a management report, the Erie Street parking lot infrastructure is at the end of its service life and significant aspects are in significant disrepair.

Those include pavement, stairs, retaining wall, lighting, and storm infrastructure.

Options include resurfacing and reconstruction.

Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma told MyStratfordNow it might be time to build something to handle more vehicles.

“It’s good timing to revisit a parking structure.”

The mayor said city council supports the idea of resurfacing the lot, but with the proviso that the cost comes back and, perhaps, leads to a second phase. Whether they agree to resurface some or all is yet to be determined.

Ritsma said with discussions underway on developing the nearby Grand Truck site, and the possibility of losing parking there a likelihood, the Erie Street parking lot discussion is a vital one.

Paul Cluff
Paul Cluff
Paul is a veteran journalist with decades of experience in newsrooms across Canada. He has served as sports editor at the St. Thomas Times-Journal, a general assignment reporter at the Stratford Beacon Herald, editor of the Goderich Signal Star, and founding editor of StratfordToday.ca. Paul is a graduate of St. Clair College’s journalism program and holds a credential in Inclusive Journalism – Fair Representation in Media from Seneca College.

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