PROVIDENCE — Providence Place mall is pausing a planned parking rate increase that would have gone into effect on Sunday after officials said they received “ongoing and meaningful feedback from tenants and members of the community.”
The downtown mall had announced the price changes — the first in a decade at the shopping center’s parking garage — in a memo to tenants on May 20, according to copies shared online and obtained by the Providence Journal.
Instead, the mall said it plans to “initiate a broader engagement process with tenants to develop a parking plan that supports the mall’s future, while considering both parking garage maintenance needs and the needs of the community it serves,” according to a statement released Wednesday night.
A new timeline for “any potential changes” will be shared following that process, officials said.
Under the new pricing plan, the first 30 minutes of parking would be free, with the following half hour costing $1. One-to-two hours of parking would cost $2; two-to-three hours would cost $5; three-to-five hours would cost $10; five-to-eight hours would cost $15; eight-to-20 hours would cost $20; and 20-to-24 hours would cost $25.
The prices would have been a sharp increase over the current rates for those looking to park for just a couple of hours: Currently, the first two hours are free, and parking for a two-to-five hour span is only $2.
The changes drew criticism on social media.
“This is awful for going to the IMAX,” one Reddit user wrote in a post earlier this month. “A 2 1/2 hour movie plus getting in and out is now tacking $10 on to your movie cost vs the palatable $2 before.”
Another user wrote: “If it’s not the beginning of the end of the mall, this is definitely at least somewhere in the middle of the end.”
Providence Place, Rhode Island’s largest shopping mall, has been in court-ordered receivership — a process similar to bankruptcy in state court — since November, after lenders alleged the mall’s management company owes them more than $259 million.
In the months since, court-appointed receivers have taken to trying to find ways to revitalize the 1.4 million- square-foot facility and secure a future for the mall.
“From the start of the receivership process, our commitment has been to responsibly strengthen and reposition Providence Place mall for long-term success. That includes being open to new approaches to improving the mall — and being just as willing to pivot when appropriate,” John Dorsey, a co-receiver, said in a statement on Wednesday, when the parking price change pause was announced.
“We’re listening to our tenants and shoppers, and we take their feedback seriously,” Dorsey continued. “Our goal has always been to strengthen the mall as an attraction for businesses and visitors — not take away from that.”
According to mall officials, the changes were “part of a broader strategy to enhance the guest experience, including long-overdue improvements to parking facilities, complementing the many improvement efforts already happening throughout the mall, from security to janitorial enhancements.”
“We’re committed to thoughtful stewardship of this property, and that includes open dialogue with those who help make the mall thrive,” Dorsey said. “After so many years of deferred maintenance and lacking management, we need to bring forward and test new ideas that help improve the mall — and refine them as needed. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
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