Downtown parking rates slashed for Calgarians on Groupon

After the exodus of workers from Calgary's downtown core this year, Park Indigo a private parking firmhas slashed its parking rates on Groupon.

For the formerly prime parking spots near the Calgary Court Centre, and the Bow Building, among others,you can steal away with a parking spot ata discount of 62 per cent. For a limited time, of course.

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"It's interesting how creative people get when times are tough," saidMaggie Schofield, the executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association.

Schofield said she'd never seen parking rates slashed as they are now. A big changesince Calgary was found to have the second highest parking rates in North America, back in 2011.

There are 13 different deals available from Park Indigo, with the biggest deal being offered on a three-month pass near Centennial Place on 9 Ave. S.W. Previously the package would have cost $1,140 but it's now going for 38 per cent of the cost at $429.

"One of things that we're noticing is that people aren't late for meetings and things like that, because they always used to come in and say, 'I couldn't find parking.' And now they're like, 'Oh, I got rockstar parking down front,'" she toldThe Calgary Eyeopener's Angela Knight.

For many Calgariansconsidering an evening out in the downtown, the price of parking is still a concern, Schofield said Wednesday. She added that people can plan ahead and scope out the rates by visiting the Downtown Calgary website.