Providence Place mall enhances parking garage with $20M in improvements

DIGITAL SIGNS indicating how many parking spaces are available on each level of the Providence Place mall parking garage are part of the series of improvements recently made to improve the customer experience in the garage; improvements totaled $20 million. / COURTESY PROVIDENCE PLACE
DIGITAL SIGNS indicating how many parking spaces are available on each level of the Providence Place mall parking garage are part of the series of improvements recently made to improve the customer experience in the garage; improvements totaled $20 million. / COURTESY PROVIDENCE PLACE

PROVIDENCE – Providence Place mall has largely completed a series of improvements to its parking garage, including digital signs that indicate how many spaces are available on each level.
The enhancements also include brighter paint colors throughout the structure, improved signs, refreshed street entrances, including a new turn lane exiting on to Francis Street, and a near tripling of the pay stations, to 27.
The improvements were valued at $20 million, said General Manager Mark Dunbar, in a news release. They resolve problems with parking that he said had long been a “pain point” for customers and employees.
The project will result in fewer inconveniences and reduce the amount of time it takes to get into and out of the garage, he said.
“Now, upon entering the garage, customers will immediately see how many parking spaces are available, where they are located and then will benefit from the guidance system as to where those spots are, exactly.”
The improvements also include installation of license plate recognition software that will read a plate upon entering the garage, and after paying at one of the kiosks, will allow the user to exit more quickly.
The work began this spring. As part of the renovation, two floors of the former J.C. Penney Co. space will become additional parking, creating about 150 new spaces.
Additional improvements will be introduced in 2017, according to Dunbar.

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