The Times' article by Jane L. Levere explores the bad economic timing for the opening of the Gateway Center and that the parking fee ($2.40/hr.) is a bummer for shoppers, but a boon for Yankees fans on game days.
It is nice to hear that the Gateway Center's retailers have filled over 1,500 jobs with 65% being held by Bronxites.
Understatement of the year:
...[I]n light of the current economic doldrums, the Gateway Center was fortunate that its focus was on big-box stores as opposed to luxury stores."Retailers Take a Chance on a Mall in the Bronx" [Jane L. Fevere, NY Times]
~ErLu
4 comments:
They're letting people park there for Yankee games? I don't live in that area, but I thought the stadium already had plenty of parking! (Which is part of the reason the old stadium is still standing, while the Mets tore Shea down in a big hurry)
I think the Gateway Center should crack down on that. Parking should be for their customers. Steinbrenner has already caught far too many breaks.
I think the reason why people park at the Gateway Center is that it is MUCH cheaper than official stadium parking.
I have a co-worker who lives down there and they charge for parking primarily because they are so close to the stadium. If the parking was free, no one would be able to get into that lot.
What sucks is that they don't validate parking. Why would I drive down to the Gateway to pay for parking when I can drive up to other malls and get free parking?
I am sure it's good for the community but I wonder if they have working wages there.
I live not far from the new Gateway center and as someone who does not have a car, I have to say that it is incredibly wonderful to be able to walk over or hop on the bus and not have to go into the city for some of these things. I am a recent manhattan transplant to the Bronx, but i would rather walk 20 minutes to that mall, than ride the subway into the city and back. The other Bronx-area malls are even less convenient from where i live than going into the city is. I know there are many others in the Bronx like me without a car who are very thankful that this has opened in our area.
MuffinGal is correct, in that the reason they charge for parking is that otherwise it would be mobbed by Yankee people on game days. I do believe that they have some kind of parking validation system, and that game parking costs $20 (comparable to other area lots). I believe that on game days, anyone parking over 3 hours must pay the $20 fee as well, and they have designated certain parking levels for Yankee parkers. I could be mistaken on some of this, however this is what i have observed on my frequent trips there.
I think that the Gateway center, in addition to the many job opportunities it has opened up, had provided a MUCH needed retail space for the south bronx community.
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