Hut 1, Hut 2, Ka-ching!<\/p>\n
Operaters of five privately-owned parkades appear eager to cash in on today\u2019s first-ever staging of a CFL game in Kelowna.<\/p>\n
Rates at the multi-storey parkades with a total of 1,722 stalls in the Landmark district will be three times higher than the normal Saturday fee.<\/p>\n
An \u201cevent rate\u201d of $30 is being charged today at the parkades, and for a July 4 game. For Saturday, July 18, the charge for three hours at the same parkades is just $9.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn general, higher parking rates during special events are primarily driven by economic principles of supply and demand,\u201d Lovelina Antony, a spokesperson for Indigo, the parkade operators, told The Kelowna Courier via email.<\/p>\n
The higher-than-usual charges also reflect increased operational costs for managing the five parkades during what is expected to high-demand days, Antony said.<\/p>\n
Those expenses, she said, include extra staffing and additional traffic control personnel, and on-site co-ordination, she said. \u201cGiven these factors, Indigo sets the parking rates accordingly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Asked specifically in a follow-up email if Kelowna-based Stober Group, owners of the Landmark business towers and the parkades, would have had a role in the setting of the $30 parking charge, Antony replied: “In most cases, as it is for this weekend’s special event, transient parking adjustments are predominantly determined by our group.”<\/p>\n
Despite the steep extra cost, the five parkades \u2014 which are about a 15 minute walk from the Apple Bowl \u2014 will almost certainly be full as there is no parking available at the stadium. It has been temporarily enlarged to accommodate almost 20,000 spectators for today\u2019s game between the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders.<\/p>\n
Getting to the game could be a challenge for many fans, despite lots of advance notice from the City of Kelowna and the Lions about the need to plan ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo help reduce congestion, spectators are strongly encourage to walk, bike, scoot, or take transit to the stadium,\u201d the Lions say on their website.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s website provides a direct link to Indigo, a national company which manages the Landmark parkades on behalf of Stober Group, a Kelowna-based developer.<\/p>\n
Gates at the Bowl open at 1 p.m., with a range of pre-game activities and entertainment, with kick-off set for 4 p.m. The game will be nationally televised by TSN, which carries all CFL games.<\/p>\n
Some other parking options:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Free parking at two nearby schools, Glenmore Elementary and Bankhead Elementary, is available on a first-come, first-serve basis<\/p>\n
\u2014 Indigo is also handling game-day parking at Evangel Church at 3261, Gordon Dr., about 3.5 km south of the Apple Bowl. Cost is $15, and a free shuttle bus to the stadium is available<\/p>\n
\u2014 $15 parking is also available at Trinity Church, 1905 Springfield Rd, which is about a 20 minute walk from the stadium. No shuttle bus is available from this location.<\/p>\n
BC Transit is planning to run extra buses on Route 97 from the Queensway bus terminal in downtown Kelowna to the stop on Harvey Avenue near the Parkinson Rec Centre, which is adjacent to the Apple Bowl. The enhanced service will be in effect from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. today.<\/p>\n
The City of Kelowna owns and operates three large parkades downtown. Today\u2019s \u201cevent charge\u201d is $6.50 at the Library parkade and the Chapman parkade, and $3.50 at the Memorial parkade.<\/p>\n
These are the regular \u201cevent rates,\u201d in effect for other major draws, such Kelowna Rockets hockey games.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Our) event rates are standardized and do not vary by event,\u201d city parking services manager Dave Duncan said. \u201cThe same rate will be in effect this Saturday as for other major events.\u201d<\/p>\n
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