Lincoln Bold skyscraper proposes valet parking program amid Haymarket businesses concerns

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A few weeks ago, 10/11 Now first reported that some Haymarket business owners were worried they’d lose customers during the construction of a planned skyscraper because of traffic and parking difficulties.

On Wednesday, the developer behind the massive project shared some news in hopes of alleviating those worries.

Steve Glenn with Lincoln Bold said there will be a free valet parking program for customers of the businesses affected during the construction of the planned 22-story building.

Construction could start in August and take two to three years. That has some local business owners raising questions.

“All that staging pretty much just blocks the view of the business,” said Dan Sloan, the owner of The Mill. “If people don’t know you’re in there, they can’t see you for all of the mess in front of you.”

Glenn, during a press conference about the project Wednesday, said that he wants to help.

“If your business is directly affected, we’re going to do everything we can to get people into your business,” Glenn said.

He’s announced a partnership between the Downtown Lincoln Association and Lincoln Bold developers that would provide a free valet parking service for customers of P Street businesses between 9th and 8th Streets, like The Mill or Vincenzo’s.

Glenn said it could cost him and the developers upwards of $250,000.

“That’s an investment we think we need to make to show the businesses we’re serious about trying to mitigate any negative effects this has on them,” Glenn said.

Lincoln Bold plans to have reserved parking spots in parking garages around the Haymarket and a team of valet employees would ferry customers’ vehicles between the northeast corner of 8th and P, to those spots. Customers would only need to show a receipt from one of those businesses to get the entire parking service, free of charge.

Even with this free valet parking ‘Save the Historic Haymarket,’ an organization representing 50 nearby businesses, is still critical of the planned building project and currently has a Charge.org petition with 1,300 signatures opposing it.

Sloan said the valet service is a nice, good-faith gesture, but it doesn’t address the root of the problem.

“I would really like to see a concerted effort to get more parking capacity in closer proximity to the heart of the Haymarket,” Sloan said.

All the pieces aren’t in place just yet for the Lincoln Bold building project. Developers requested $23 million in Tax Increment Financing, and the City Council’s final vote on that will take place in March.

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