Preliminary parking study projects need for up to 416 new downtown spaces by 2050, councillors hear

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

County of Brant councillors received a detailed look at long-term parking pressures in downtown Paris on Dec. 9 as staff presented the Preliminary Downtown Paris Parking Needs Assessment, a first step toward determining how much parking the core will need as redevelopment accelerates over the next 25 years.

The assessment, presented by Manager of Corporate Initiatives Halie Gilmore, analyzes current utilization, anticipates future growth, and models four scenarios that forecast the number of additional public parking spaces required through 2050. Even under the status quo, where no residential growth occurs on existing municipal lots, the County would still need to add more than 100 new spaces over the next quarter-century.

“It’s a preliminary model that is based on existing data and feedback from the community to get an understanding of our current condition in downtown Paris and start to understand what demand and supply could look like over the next 25 years,” Gilmore told councillors at the December 8th Administration and Operations meeting. 

She emphasized that the document is not a final strategy but an evolving foundation that will be updated as the County refines forecasts, gathers more data, and hears from the public. “It’s important to realize this is preliminary and things are changing and evolving – so it can be updated over time, as feedback is submitted from the community,” she said 

According to the assessment, downtown Paris has 420 public parking spaces, 286 in lots and 117 on-street, with average lot utilization around 75 per cent, below the industry threshold of 85 per cent. But the average masks peak pressures: lots closest to the commercial core, offering 24-hour parking, regularly operate near capacity.

Data and community feedback “show our current parking is nearing capacity,” Gilmore said, noting high demand in lots closest to Grand River Street North and increasing strain from tourism, seasonal events, and commercial activity.

The reconstruction of Grand River Street North, which replaced angled parking with parallel, resulted in the loss of 34 on-street spaces, though the construction of Lot 11 on the former OPP site at Mechanic and Broadway St offset that, resulting in a net gain of 45 spaces since 2022.

The report models four growth scenarios, forecasting the number of additional public parking spaces required by 2050:

Status quo (no residential growth): 107 spaces

Low growth (150 new units): 283 spaces

Medium growth (225 units): 323 spaces

High growth (300 units): 416 spaces

These projections reflect not only increasing population and tourism, but also the likelihood that municipal lots could be redeveloped to accommodate growth, removing between 34 and 186 public spaces depending on the scale of development. The assessment notes that densification is positive for the community and economy, but it requires a strategy to maintain and expand parking supply. 

Providing adequate public parking is key in our downtown core, so we need to make sure we are providing adequate parking, and we are preserving what we have, Gilmore stated. 

Councillors pressed for clarity on how and when residents and downtown business owners will be consulted.

“This is an important first step in the parking conversation,” Gilmore said, noting that the County’s downtown liaison “is positioned to have conversations with folks in the new year,” noting it would be a very forward-focused discussion asking what people want to see in the future, as opposed to what worked in the past. 

Paris Coun. Steve Howes said residents need the key points from the report distilled: “I’m wondering if our communications department will condense these 35 pages into some key bullets,” also noting the importance of highlighting that the county has gained 45 spaces of the last few years, despite losing spaces when angle parking was removed. 

Paris Coun. John Bell said the report should acknowledge that people may be willing to walk a few extra minutes, pointing to large public lots at Syl Apps Community Centre, Penman’s Pass and Lions Park.

Bell also acknowledged the importance of making plans to make sure parking is adequate before continuing to approve development, saying there must be a sensible timeline to executing growth. 

Bell also suggested it may be time to tell the community definitively that the long-debated parking structure at the Council Chambers lot “is not going to happen.” 

Ward 1 Coun. Jennifer Kyle supported expanding the definition of available parking to include nearby public lots but noted that “Lions Park for example only has about 50 spaces that are only accessible for half the year,” she said, citing that the gates at Lions Park were closed for Jingle Bell Night, so seasonal parking and limitations must be considered. 

Councillors also raised the issue of 90+ County staff who currently park downtown. Off-site staff parking or relocating office space could reduce demand, some suggested, though Ward 5 Coun. David Miller cautioned that if County offices are relocated, whatever replaces them downtown will also require parking 

Council voted to receive the assessment and directed staff to:

Consult with the BIA, downtown property owners, residents, and businesses.

Enumerate specific parking needs for staff, customers, and residents.

Investigate additional parking locations and potential partnerships with private lot owners; and

Report back with options for addressing capacity challenges.

The findings will inform the 2026 update of the Downtown Paris Master Plan, and a forthcoming zoning review intended to support residential intensification.