Cedar Rapids Downtown District will take over parking operation April 1

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Downtown District will take over the management of the downtown parking system from the city on April 1 in a deal with City Hall that runs through 2015.

The district and the city have worked over 40 weeks to reach the agreement, which the district says will allow it to pay more attention to parking because it is so important to the health of the downtown.

The agreement will give the city the ability to continue to use 25 percent of the system's uncommitted parking spaces as part of economic development packages for the downtown.

The city also commits to providing $4 million to the district for deferred maintenance, though the amount can be limited to $500,000 a year.

The city will continue to own all the assets while the district sets the parking prices.

Six full-time city employees can remain with the district-run system as part of the agreement with the city picking up half of the extra cost and the district half of the difference between city wages and the private-sector ones that the district otherwise would pay for the positions. That will cost the city and district $57,000 a year each, according to city estimates.

The district has promised to bring better customer service and modern technology to the parking system.

Issues related to the public employees and the amount of deferred maintenance have held up the agreement until now.