> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # City’s new parking garage goes largely unnoticed - URL: https://www.smdp.com/citys-new-parking-garage-goes-largely-unnoticed/ - Published: 2002-02-16T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T00:02:44.000Z - Author: Andrew Fixmer - Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import *Can’t find a space? Try the best-kept secret downtown* Despite spending $5 million on a new downtown public parking garage, the city has failed to advertise it’s open for business, offcials say. The garage, located on Fourth Street just north of Wilshire Boulevard, remains largely empty during the day with few signs directing motorists to its entrance. “At the moment it’s the best kept secret downtown,” said Kathleen Rawson, executive director of the Bayside District Corporation, which oversees the commercial district. Some business owners said finding the new parking structure can be difficult. The entrance to the new garage looks like a small alleyway. And the parking structure, which is completely underground, is covered by a large apartment building. Construction on the 294-space structure ended last July, but not many people knew about the extra parking because the senior housing complex above it was still being built. “When it opened, the place looked like a de-militarized zone,” said Rawson. “But now with all the construction over, things should pick up.” All city-owned parking structures, including its newest structure, are open 24 hours a day. From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the first two hours are free, but it costs $1 each additional 30 minutes. However, there is a $7 maximum charge, and all vehicles entering after 6 p.m. are charged a flat rate of $3. City officials said the garage is gaining notoriety among motorists and it’s beginning to make more money. “Unless you get right up on it now, it’s still hard to tell if it’s a parking deck,” said Oscar Delgado, the city’s parking coor-dinator. “But it’s beginning to do well now.” When the structure opened, it made $4,300\. However, in December — the last month for which the are figures available — the structure raked in more than $29,000. “It’s just tough right now because it’s north of the Promenade, but we’ve seen the fruits of our labor,” said Delgado. “We’re very excited as to how it’s done so far.” But it has a long way to catch up to other city-owned 300-space garages. On a monthly basis, parking structures on Second and Fourth Streets average about $65,000. Both the city and Bayside have worked to raise awareness of the new structure, posting advertisements in area newsletters, the city’s Web site, and fliers distributed at other city parking garages. When other parking structures fill up during the day, officials said the city has been re-directing visitors to the new garage. “Normally structures along (Fourth Street) hit capacity or run at capacity during the farmer’s market days,” said Delgado. “Any time they fill up we start directing people north to (the new) structure.” The city will install a new parking sign in front of the structure next month that will have an electric message which tells motorists when the lot is full and directs them to the nearest available garage. The city wants to employ the messaging system citywide, so every deck will be able to alert motorists quickly. “Our plan is to automatically be able to redirect people to the next structure,” said Delgado. “I haven’t seen it anywhere else in California, but all our people say it’s possible. We’re way out there on this one.” Business owners say parking throughout the city has historically not been accessible for their patrons. “As long as I have been on Bayside parking has been one our highest issues,” said Rawson. “A lot of positive steps have been taken to provide adequate parking, but there is never enough parking downtown.” Businesses want the city to put up more signs directing motorists from the freeway to available parking structures. “The city needs better signs,” said Rawson. “Guiding people to the next structure that’s available sounds simple, but the city hasn’t done a good job of it in the past.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/021602-02_01.jpg) The bottom floor of the city’s newest parking garage was completely empty Friday afternoon, though vehicles had filled many of the spaces on the top two floors. (Photo: Andrew H. Fixmer/ Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 16, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021602.pdf?ref=smdp.com)