The Galleria in Houston is a premiere shopping and entertainment destination for those who want to shop, ice skate, eat, or simply browse for a few hours to see what’s available. Like many other malls, parking at the Galleria is free for all customers, but that will apparently be changing on November 2.
According to a spokesperson for the Simon Property Group—the Galleria’s majority owners—new parking fees will be implemented in just a few weeks. An official statement reads, “Beginning November 2, The Galleria will introduce a modern parking system designed to provide convenient parking for guests visiting to shop, dine, and enjoy the center. A flat parking rate will apply in The Galleria garages — Select retailers may offer parking validation at their discretion, and employees will continue to park free in designated areas.”
The new rates are as follows:
- $2 for up to four hours of parking
- $5 for four to seven hours of parking
- $25 for up to 24 hours of parking
It’s unclear as to which stores are set to participate in the Galleria’s parking validation system or if certain requirements must be met before customers can receive validation. The Galleria has also not expressly stated if drivers will be given a grace period for entering and exiting any of the designated parking areas without paying to do so, nor have they specified how fees will be paid.
In the meantime, free self-parking is still available at the mall’s Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown, and Red garages between now and November 2. However, it already costs to park on Level 3 of the Yellow Garage, in certain surface lots, and in any areas offering valet, so it might not be a huge change for some.
Customers at Galleria in Houston have expressed reservations about the new system
According to Chron, Reddit users in the Houston area have already begun to express reservations about the Galleria’s new parking fees. One individual said, “Paying to park to go shopping at the mall??? In this economy??” Which is, honestly, relatable. Others had a more pointed reaction, saying, “Yeah, that’s crazy. I’m not paying to go shop.”
Some are choosing to remain hopeful and are wondering if parking fees will make it easier to find spots during busier times of day. Another resident wrote, “I go maybe two or three times a year and the parking is usually pretty full. There are a lot of people that would prefer to know that parking is going to be available and are willing to pay a few dollars for that privilege.”
Of course, customers have the option of entering and exiting the mall within four hours or less to only have to pay that base $2 fee if they’re on a budget or feel morally opposed to paying for parking in general. Time, it seems, will tell.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
