A lack of parking spaces in downtown Kitchener is impacting local businesses

Finding a parking spot in Downtown Kitchener is proving to be difficult for people, and now it is affecting local businesses as well.

Megan Goodchild is the owner of The Attic Yoga Studio on King Street West, the business has been at that location for the last three years. Speaking on the Mike Farwell Show on Tuesday, she said the biggest deterrent for her clients coming into her studio or buying memberships is a lack of parking spots around her business.

“Sometimes people will reserve a spot in class, but then they never find parking so they reach out and want their money back because they weren’t able to make it to class, or worse, they cancel their membership if its an on-going issue for them,” she said. “It is not sustainable for a business.”

The City of Kitchener website says the city has more than 300 free two-hour parking spots, along with 15 surface parking lots and five parking garages across the municipality.

The closest parking spaces near the business are a parking garage on Ontario Street North and a surface parking lot on Ontario Street South, both of which require payment to use. Goodchild notes that some of her clients do not like using some of the covered parking garages due to safety reasons.

The business owner said the thought of leaving and moving somewhere else has crossed her mind.

“It’s difficult to find somewhere where they don’t have to walk all the way across downtown to get to the business,” said Goodchild.

“I ideally would love to stay downtown, but if it’s not feasible…Then ultimately I would have to look at moving the business somewhere else.”

570 has reached out to the City of Kitchener for comment.