Westfield Valley Fair mall to charge parking fees as it reports sales surge
The first two hours will still be free; costs scheduled to take effect Feb. 8
SAN JOSE » Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose is preparing to launch a controlled parking program next month and says the iconic retail complex is enjoying a big surge in sales that topped pre-COVID-19 amounts.
The new parking program enables people to park free for the first two hours at the San Jose retail, restaurant and entertainment center. After that, they must pay parking fees up to a maximum of $10 a day.
People who attend movies at Showplace ICON Theatre will be able to obtain validations that allow four hours of free parking, according to mall officials.
Among the drivers for the new parking program: Valley Fair seeks to cope with people who are leaving vehicles at the center for the entire day or even overnight.
The heightened concern about parking at Valley Fair arrives in the wake of a wide-ranging and dramatic expansion, renovation and upgrade at the destination mall that brought numerous new stores to the center and allowed some existing retailers to greatly expand operations in modern spaces.
“We just invested a billion dollars in the modernization of the shopping center,” said Sue Newsom, senior general manager at Westfield Valley Fair. “This is a way to enhance the shopping experience.”
Among the worst kinds of parking offenders: workers who leave their vehicles in the mall garages all day while they are at their jobs and air travelers who need a free place to park while they jet away from nearby San Jose International Airport.
“This new controlled parking plan is part of a broader focus on security at Valley Fair,” Newsom said. “It is also designed to limit the parking inconveniences experienced by Valley Fair customers as a result of the substantial number of vehicles left on-site each day.”
The new parking program is slated to go into effect on Feb. 8.
“Hundreds of cars a day are being left in the garages,” Newsom said.
People would be obliged to obtain a ticket when they enter one of the parking garages, much like any standalone garage or parking lot.
Here’s how the graduated increases in the parking fees would work at Valley Fair, excluding the special validation for a movie theater ticket:
• first two hours are free
• two to three hours are $1
• three to four hours, $2
• four to five hours $3
• five to six hours $4
• six to seven hours $5
• seven to eight hours $6
• eight to nine hours $7
• nine to 10 hours $8
• 10 to 11 hours $9
• 12 or more hours, a maximum daily rate of $10.
“The big message is the first two hours are free to everybody,” Newsom said. “Our surveys show that about 80% of our guests won’t be impacted by this new plan.”
Mall officials are at a point where they want to show off the retail center to its best effect in the wake of the modernization and revamp.
“We have received such positive feedback about all the enhancements that we have made around the property,” Newsom said. “The retailers we have, the dining and the entertainment experiences. We want to keep that secure and enjoyable for our guests.”
Plus, Valley Fair is experiencing a boom in retail sales and restaurant visits that have soared above the mall’s pre-COVID-19 numbers.
“I’m very excited to say that we have record sales at this point compared with 2019,” Newsom said. “Valley Fair flourished throughout 2021 and especially during the holiday season.”
The COVID-era upswing appears to have wide-ranging durability for retailers and restaurants alike.
“The foot traffic has come back and the improvement is showing in the actual sales that the retailers are receiving,” Newsom said.