With the prospect of a viable airport in the air, will the powers that be see the reality of cooperation and giving, or will they, as rumors already have it, get greedy and penny pinch? I’m talking about the parking fees that are being tossed around. We now have a delicate situation that should be nurtured, not squandered. Let’s be grateful for the one airline we have and try to attract more.
One way to do this is to offer free parking, or a minimum charge of $2 a day, just to pay for security. Wouldn’t the half million people who live within 25 miles of the Worcester Regional Airport rather pay $2 than $20 to $30 a day in Boston, or $10 to $15 a day in Providence or Hartford? We have the space, let’s open it up to attract people and in turn attract more airlines. In the future, when we have four, five or six airlines fighting to come here, then we can talk about parking fees.
Let’s be sensible, and give the public a reason to come here, rather than go to some other airport.
RAYMOND A. LEVINE Worcester
Same Time Next Year
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It’s been nearly a year since I wrote about the problems that come from
having 11 bosses who are not on the same page about anything, as well as
suggestion...
6 months ago
12 comments:
I don't have a problem with a parking fee but not right now. It would make more sense to give away free parking to try and promote the airport to passengers in the Worcester area and once we have more than 1 or 2 airlines we could charge to park. Didn't parking fees do in the Common outlets?
If 99 cent parking for 2 1/2 hours was the reason for the Common Outlets Mall failure, we're never going to be a real city.
It never cease to amaze me how people in Worcester and the surrounding suburbs think nothing of driving to Providence or Boston (noticed I didn't say Springfield..LOL) and spending much more to park their cars but they think its their God given right to have free parking in Worcester's urban core.
I am not saying Worcester should have free parking because we are cheap but when you manage ORH you only have so many things to promote and free parking could be one.
Tim,
I was venting specifically about downtown and the "reason" the Mall failed.
As for the airport, I believe a start-up period (of at least 1 yr.) of free parking would be s great way to promote the use of our under utilized airport now that another airline is giving it a try.
Eventually we will be able to charge at the airport and it can be a source of revenue.
Trying to get people, who are use to TF Green/Logan/Bradley/Manchester to make a charge, free parking can be and should be the airport's number 1 marketing attraction.
Bill
People never avoided the Worc Center mall b/c of parking costs............thats a Worc Urban myth/excuse..............they avoided it b/c the suburban malls are more appealing ..........esp to wimmen who do 98% of the mall shopping/purchases..........where would u want your significant other to shop at tonight.............Shoppers World or Downtown Worc mall
If you live in Shrewsbury.............where u going to go......... Worc center Mall (if availbale) or Framingham.
It called bums, beggars, hobo's, Pajama people, and low lifes who are dissuading people from downtown Worc .......esp after dark...........('cept for Gabe)
BTW have you all noticed the uptick in downtown business since The Paris Cinema was run out of town.....so much for the Paris of the 90's..... (or was it the 80's)...I cant wait for the first Hanover Theatre Burlesque show !!!.......or can I get a burlesque fix on the internet these daize??
The stockholders of the city want a report on Police Dept Paygate........NOW!!!!!......and is the Fire Dept on OPark Ave still using the 40 ton ladder truck for lunch runs to KFC??....boy they were busy yesterday afternoon...........musta been 4 runs outta Park Ave......in 3 hrs on MOnday afternoon........elderly at Webster Sq towers must be falling down more laleley ???
I went to the Hanover Theatre for the first time this week-end. The facade was very nice and the immediate interior.
I got to tell you I was not overly impressed by the theatre itself.
Bill,
With all due respect; are you & Jahn drinking the same water these days? I have been to the Hanover Theater on several occasions and IMHO, everything is first rate.
I have been listening to Jahn too much it is true
My God, the news just reported that Guy Glodis will implement promotion procedures/standards that will remove all politics from promotions at the jail.................must be April 1st...........either that or Guy has aleady promoted all the cronnies that he needed to promote.
I just wish Guy would:
a. ST+U,
b. jail & feed the bad guys,
c. sell his $300,000 unused Swat-mobile on E-Bay,
d. pay his beach parking fees,
e. be voted out next election
I have not been myself since Dewey told me he had moved out of the City of Worcester either.
David, The closest I have been to The Hand It Over Theatre was about a month ago when I had a 1 hr & 45 minute wait at RMV and during that wait I wandered down to the Main & Franklin St's White Hen Pantry. What a trip that was........all 600 ft of it!!!
Please fell free to check the blog archives to see what I had to say at that time. Truth be told, i like historic preservation, unless it's an old factory building being retoresd to Low Income Housing. Nothing quite like cleaned old brick, sand blasted and re-finished old wood, etc
The Last time I was actaully in old Loew's Theatre site was when I saw Sinbad The Sailor & Cyclops monster/horror movie and ++++ my pants i was so scared. That was eons ago.
It will prob. be a long time before I ever get to the Hand It Over Theatre, if at all. That Being said, I know nothing of what the interior looks like, but the modernistic looking facade/lobby has me puzzled....just doesnt fit with a so called historic preservation. But I am sure the architects know more than me about that topic.
I have drank the same water as Bill, but only a couple of times when at my favorite "inner urban" restaurant, the Pickle Barrel. Bill paid.....I imbibed and dined...after which I went to Med City for a cholesterol check. (j/k Gus). My next free feed will be upgraded to Suneys. I need to experience their Fish & Chips.
We do actaully disagree on some things........the one that comes to mind is the location of the non existent airport access road.
For $30,000,000 of re-hab money, proabably 1/3 to 1/2 of which came from my taxes, the inside of that place should have walls of gold. Then the owners turn around make the real estate holding company a non profit.......basically screwing City of Worc out of property tax on $30,000,000 ($30M)..........which tax revenue loss is about a $750,000 hit. Nice huh? Give these so called investors $10M of public subsidies and now they dont even want to pay real estate property taxes.
If owned Medical City, I'd place the property in a Non profit holding company. BTW, it's easy to make a company non-profit. The bean counters just sharpen their pencils.
Thanks Dewey [g]
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