PETERSBURG, Va. β Petersburg is fast-tracking parking improvements in the Old Towne area as the city prepares for construction of its new $80 million courthouse complex set to open in late 2027.
The city is renovating several downtown parking lots that have been neglected for years, with work already underway to seal coat surfaces and add proper striping to maximize parking spaces.
"We've had one lot that's been closed down for probably 10 years," said Mike Jones of Jones Striping & Seal Coating. "We actually re-opened that parking lot up, we cleared it up, sealed and now we're going to strip it, which produces more parking spaces."
The improvements come as employees from the city's current three court buildings will need alternative parking once courthouse construction begins. For those who work and shop in Old Towne, these will be the first real parking changes in more than a decade.
Current parking conditions have been challenging for area workers and customers.
"Honestly, it can be quite atrocious. There's no marked out spots, so people just, it's a free-for-all," said Sara Campbell, who works at Longstreet's Deli.
Kimberly Ann Calos, a local shop owner, agreed with that assessment.
"It pretty much is a free-for-all. The first person that gets in line, and everybody else just sorts of follows," Calos said.
Kenneth Miller, Petersburg's deputy city manager, said the city is taking a proactive approach to maximize existing parking resources.
"This is an opportunity for us to take a pro-active posture, if you will, to start enhancing places that we have parking but we are not maximizing our parking," Miller said.
The city took advantage of warm January weather to begin the work earlier this week, removing fencing and filling potholes. Over the next few days, crews will seal coat and stripe the lots.
"Organization is what really creates more parking spaces," Jones said.
Miriam Fuller, who has been parking in the area for nearly two decades, welcomed the improvements. She described current conditions as difficult to navigate.
"Oh gosh no, oh my goodness no," Fuller said when asked if parking was easy. "Sad, it's hard to get into hard, to get out of, because you're not sure, there's no real driveway."
Fuller noted positive changes in the area over recent years.
"A lot of this has changed so much for the good over the last couple of years," Fuller said.
Once parking improvements on one side of Bank Street are completed, Miller said the city will address the other side to allow better access and create more parking spots. Plans also include landscaping improvements and removing debris.
The parking renovations address more than just capacity. Safety improvements include better lighting, and one lot will be converted to one-way in and one-way out traffic flow, eliminating the need for cars to drive over curbs to park.
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