Hundreds of Newcastle west end city workers will be looking for somewhere new to park from next month, placing extra demand on the city's already stretched parking resources.
Doma Property, which owns the 678-space Store car park has announced the facility will no longer be available to casual users from July 1.
The company advised when it lodged a development application for the project in 2018 that it would eventually be used to service an adjoining apartment block, which is now under construction.
Some interim use leases have been offered while the construction continues.
The loss of casual parking option has come as a shock to many workers who have relied on it since it opened in late 2020.
West end worker Vijay Pierce uses the park several times a week and occasionally on weekends.
"It's a very convenient location right at the interchange,' he said.
With parking spots at the Honeysuckle car park and the Spotlight car park at a premium, Mr Pierce said he and other colleagues would probably look to park in the streets around Hamilton Tafe and Marketown.
"It will just make congestion in the city and distance from workplaces much harder," he said.
"My wife and family members are less able and we don't know how it will work when we come into town on the weekend.
Parking not working for business
Business Hunter chief executive Bob Hawes said concerns about city parking were a constant source of feedback from members.
Particular pinch points were afternoons and early evenings when residents without building parking entitlements parked on the street while surrounding food and beverage venues were gearing up for the dinner shift.
"It can be particularly chaotic when there is a big event on at the Civic Theatre, Civic Park or City Hall, none of which have a dedicated parking station to service their patrons," Mr Hawes said.
He said the businesses were still trying to adjust to the impact of the CBD revitalisation works, which had generated a lot of traffic and parking changes in a compressed time period.
"Most businesses we talk to or engage with have the view or perceived view, there is inadequate parking in the Newcastle CBD and in future this will become more apparent," he said.
"The perfect storm began when the works to install the light rail coincided with the first year of the Supercar race and alienated parts of the CBD for traffic and parking for long periods.
"Businesses that directly front the light rail route have also expressed concern at the loss of kerb side parking or drop off zones, and some have since made the decision to vacate the precinct and move to an area where parking is generally more available."
Timothy Owens, who owns Celebrations Bottle Shop in Hunter Street said the business had not recovered after parking was removed from in front of the store during the light rail construction.
He is relying on revenue from his other three bottle shops to keep Hunter St store open.
"We have been losing money month after month, year after year since the light rail went in," he said.
"We have pretty much lost all our vehicular traffic since they did the light rail. We now rely on pedestrian traffic from the surrounding buildings."
Mr Owens said he had chosen to hang on in the hope the yet-to-be-built 450-bed university student accommodation building would revive the businesses fortunes.
"I'm hoping, with the accommodation they are building, it will be the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
"If it wasn't for that I would have walked away from the business a long time ago and just cut my losses."
City parking options
A City of Newcastle spokesman said the council maintained thousands of unpaid and paid on-street public vehicle parking spaces throughout the city.
The council's 2021-2030 parking plan outlines the council's approach to parking in line with the integrated transport, pedestrian and public space needs of a modern, sustainable city.
In addition to public parking, there are also a range of private off-street car parks that provide a mix of long term and short-term car parking options, the spokesman said.
"From time to time, there are changes to the make-up of parking in the city as new developments and other initiatives unfold. Impending changes to the Store car park are one example, noting this is a decision for the private operator.
"City of Newcastle remains committed to the redevelopment of the former Mall Car Park site.Preliminary analysis shows that the site can provide a range of high-quality mixed uses that combine housing, commercial (retail and office) and community spaces, while maintaining public car parking and providing superior public domain, including the Harbour to Cathedral concept."
"Forensic investigation" needed
McCloy Group chairman Jeff McCloy, whose company headquarters is located at the corner of Hunter and Darby Streets called for a 'forensic investigation' into city parking.
"It's so inconvenient for workers and shoppers and it's destroying the trade of our businesses," he said.
Mr McCloy, a former Newcastle Lord Mayor, suggested Hunter Street mall could be reconfigured to create more car parks.
"If you rearrange those seats and remove those bollards I reckon you could find another 30 or 40 car parking spots," he said.
"What about those stupid bloody flower boxes in Darby Street? Get rid of them."
"Whoever put them there should buy a local business and then see how they feel about them."
