Sunnyvale, CA (01/25/01) – Seventy-five parking spaces formerly reserved for valet parking will become available to downtown Sunnyvale shoppers effective February 6.  The shift brings an end to the complimentary valet parking program in downtown Sunnyvale that was designed to help shoppers and diners cope with the inconvenience of multiple redevelopment projects.  Instead, downtown visitors will have access to new Downtown Parking Ambassadors who will answer questions and direct drivers to convenient parking. 

“People seem to prefer to park themselves,” said Karen Davis, economic development manager for the City of Sunnyvale.  “We received many requests to open up the 75 spaces currently being used for valet services, so we are responding.” 

Instead of paying for free valet parking services for downtown visitors, the developer of three downtown office buildings will sponsor Downtown Parking Ambassadors.  The ambassadors will be placed at key intersections and walk throughout downtown during busy times to answer questions and direct drivers to convenient parking to convenient parking.  The first assignment of the Downtown Parking Ambassadors will be to help direct traffic and parking around a large crane that will temporarily close some streets in the Town & Country Village area starting February 11 for the next few months.  The crane will be used to hoist precast concrete panels into place at the exterior facade of the Mozart office buildings.  

Downtown Sunnyvale is the site of several major construction projects – all within a few blocks of one another.  In addition to a 450,000-square-foot office building complex being built by Mozart Development, construction is underway on a multi-modal Transit Station and companion four-story garage, a new 1,314-space garage on Washington St., and a number of new stores in and around WAVE/Town Center Mall. Groundbreaking for a 1.8 acre City Plaza is anticipated for this summer.  A new apartment complex and a 962-space public parking garage on W. Iowa were completed at the end of 2001.  

"It is important that people know downtown businesses are open during construction, and that accommodations are being made for them at every step of the redevelopment process, "Davis said.  "The developers, construction crews, City staff, and downtown business owners are working very hard to make sure there is enough parking and that people feel welcomed into our downtown while it is being revitalized."

The idea of Downtown Parking Ambassadors came from the Sunnyvale Downtown Association who borrowed the concept for a successful Downtown Ambassador program in San Mateo.

“We think these ‘downtown parking ambassadors’ will provide a useful service to downtown visitors,” said Joe Antuzzi, a downtown restaurant owner and chair of the Sunnyvale Downtown Association.  “We have to keep our downtown businesses active and alive during construction.”   

For more information on downtown Sunnyvale redevelopment, call (408) 737-4900.  Information – including an online directory of downtown businesses - is also available on the City’s website at www.ci.sunnyvale.ca.us at the Sunnyvale Downtown Development link.

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