WATCH ABOVE: Could Edmonton be the next Canadian city to adopt technology-forward parking? Lisa Wolansky finds out.
EDMONTON – How would you feel about a robot parking your car? You could soon be able to find out in downtown Edmonton. The Francis Winspear Centre for Music is looking to secure a $25 million loan from the city to build a new robo parkade.
Users would drive their cars onto a platform, which would lift the car into an elevated system. The parkade would replace the Impark lot that currently sits east of the building.
Annemarie Petrov, the executive director of the centre, says the proposed lot would be much more space efficient.
“With the service parking lot that we have right now by Impark, we have about 87 spots and the new robo parkade would handle about 379.”
The $25 million loan would be paid back through parking revenue. Mayor Don Iveson supports the complete project, but says there are still questions that need to be asked.
“It’s not an automatic for us,” Iveson said Tuesday. “I think we have to look at it very carefully for good reason around ensuring that our debt levels are responsible, and that our risk around borrowing is low.”
“There’s a value to the customer, but it is a technology, and with that comes risk.”
The lot is just one part of a planned $78 million expansion to the centre which would also include a new theatre. City council will discuss the robo parking proposal next week.
With files from Lisa Wolansky, Global News.
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