Starting on Monday, at the corner of Higuera and Toro Streets, 45 new public paid parking spots will be open for use.
Customers will have to pay hourly or by permit from Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Parking starts at $3.00 an hour but will be lowered on July 8 to $2.25 an hour, consistent with on-street parking. Monthly permits can be purchased for $60 a month at the City’s Mobility Services Office located on Chorro Street.
"This public parking lot will serve downtown businesses, visitors, and residents in an area that currently needs more parking options,” said Donna King, Parking Program Manager for the City of San Luis Obispo.
Todd Aburashed, the owner of Petra Mediterranean Pizza and Grill, says he typically sees customers drive around for 10 minutes during their lunch break before giving up.
“It's not just us," Aburashed said. "All the neighborhood here would benefit [from the new lot] because all the meters are full.”
“Parking is very scarce in this area," Callie Walter, Field Day Coffee owner said. "Then with the new construction, we're losing a lot of street parking, so we are super grateful that that space is being used.”
The city council approved the purchase of the property for $4.8 million in November 2023, which is now being used to support an economically active area of upper Monterrey Street in downtown San Luis Obispo.
“It makes me happy because I feel like I walk by this parking lot a lot," 10-year resident Frances Mckenchnie said. "And it just kind of seems like wasted space, especially when it's tricky to park around here a lot of the time.”
For more information on downtown parking in San Luis Obispo, click here.
