DOWNTOWN PARKING STRUCTURE OPENS
4-story site, built next to future Arrow light-rail station, has 385 stalls, including numerous electric vehicle charging spots
Service on the long-awaited Arrow light rail won’t begin for at least a few months, but the parking structure that’s taken shape near the rail station is open.
The city announced earlier this month it had issued a temporary certificate of occupancy for the 385-space garage on Stuart Avenue between Orange and Eureka streets. The certificate allows for parking in the garage as crews continue minor construction projects at the site.
Work on the four-level parking structure began in late 2020, the same year the city approved the project. In a news release, the city described the garage as a joint venture with Property One LLC, the developer behind renovations at the historic Santa Fe Depot and several recent projects around the train tracks west of Orange Street.
The parking structure includes electric vehicle charging stations, retail space on the ground floor and a pedestrian walkway. Parking in the structure is free, the city noted.
A quick tour Monday showed a few taking advantage of the garage’s proximity to nearby retailers. Most popular was the bank of Tesla charging stations on the roof, where several motorists relaxed behind the wheel as they recharged their cars midafternoon.
Though there’s currently no public access to the train platforms neighboring the garage, by the end of the year, travelers will be able to park and take the Arrow line. Testing on the tracks is underway for the 9-mile light rail service, which begins at University of Redlands and ends at the San Bernardino Transit Center, where travelers can connect to Metrolink’s commuter trains serving much of Southern California.