'A lot of complaining': Small business owners worry customers may stay away after private parking lot rate increases

Invictus Tattoo and Barbershop has been operating on Albert Street just west of Richmond Row for approximately two years.

Shortly after moving in, they noted a jump in parking rates at nearby private lots operated by Precise ParkLink, but it didn't stop there.

Owner Brandon Bernatowycz highlighted the ongoing increases in a recent Instagram post, with rates now sitting at $5 for every 15 minutes.

He said they're hearing it from customers, and told CTV News London there’s been, "A lot of complaining. Everybody's pretty mad about the increases."

Next door, Constantine Kappos, owner of Mythic Grill, has no doubt the rate increases are affecting business.

"I find my customers, one of the things they're citing for not coming downtown as often is the fact that the parking rates have gone up,” he said.

A sign in downtown London, Ont. displays the parking rate which was recently increased to $5 every 15 minutes. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

On-street rates are more affordable at $2.50 an hour, but there are only 15 street spaces in the block between Richmond and Talbot streets. The business owners said not only are the rates higher in the private lots, but those lots aren’t being repaired and they aren't lit at night.

Bernatowycz said Invictus has directed spotlights from their business onto the lot next to them for customer safety and to protect the business.

"It's a lot harder to get away with breaking a window when it's bright out there, right,” he said.

Kappos added that his business experienced vandalism on the same night nearby Dimi's Greek house was targeted. He said costs and safety issues are forcing businesses to make tough decisions.

A customer reviews the payment options on a private parking lot on Albert Street, near Richmond Street in London, Ont. on Aug. 8, 2023. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) "We love it downtown,” Kappos stressed. “We've been here for 17-and-a-half years and want to stay here, but if I see my regulars not coming in as often, I have to look to where I can go to, potentially, ensure they stay.”

"I would like to see some kind of regulation with the parking,” added Bernatowycz. “So that they can't increase it by a certain amount every single year, but, honestly, more city lots so that it's more controlled."

The business owners said Downtown London, the core's business improvement agency, does offer subsidies to offset costs of on-street parking, but they're hoping more can be done to keep people coming into the core.