A new parking garage will open this week in downtown San Antonio and it could make a big difference for local art lovers because of its location.
"It's about a quarter of a block from our front door," says Tobin Center for the Performing Arts CEO Mike Fresher.
He says that while the V-shaped garage is not enormous, those spaces so near the Tobin should cure the parking problems experienced the three years since they opened.
"We have 521 parking spaces on six floors," Fresher says. "Additionally, we have about fourteen thousand square feet of retail space on the first street level."
The place where they built the garage was once occupied by the popular 4th Avenue Cafe, which for years served weekday lunches.
"I believe that cafe is where our lobby elevators are now," he says.
Parking is going to run $15 on event nights.
"Or, if someone wants to reserve their parking space, not unlike you select your seat on an airline flight, you can go our web site, buy a parking space, and when you come to a Tobin Center show, you know that parking space number 5 is yours," Fresher explains. So that's a $20 parking spot for that feature. And then during the day, regular market rates will prevail."
The garage has a little more style than one might expect in such a functionary building.
"It is very historically supportive of the neighborhood so it doesn't look like a steel and metal garage," he says.
Local architects Marmon Mok designed the facility, which will open this Friday.
