OT: Storrs Center and LAZ

[Chin Diesel]

Anyone have any personal experiences with this?

Seems insane mayor town doesn't know parking contractor netted $300k in profits off ticketing.

Storrs Center is dying— and LAZ Parking is killing it, store owners say

As an out of Towner I don't have any personal experience and realize college newspapers can be spotty in their quality but this to be known, correct?


LAZ parking tickets in Storrs Center are normally $30, according to a June 2018 LAZ financial report. From July 2017 to June 2018, the company made $635,103.81 in Mansfield parking tickets, the report said. It showed $331,642.39 in operating expenses, putting LAZ’s net income from July 2017 to June 2018 at $303,461.42

 

[whaler11]

LAZ is the single most evil company I’ve ever encountered.

That they get to use UConn’s logo is infuriating and if you don’t park at the Aero Club...

I think I’ve posted articles about their practices and have always asked why UConn keeps them as a preferred sponsor. Disgusting.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Well the EH town treasurer collects 20 bucks a car at Silva’s. You think that he’s claiming that on his taxes ?

 

[jdb50]

The Town of Mansfield will be very slow to react to this. They are clueless.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

As an employee in Storrs Downtown and knowing one of the owners affected, it is a real thing that is really affecting businesses. Businesses are dropping like flies in Storrs downtown (obviously, LAZ is only one of many factors to blame). I believe the Town is trying its best when it comes to this matter. Although LAZ blows and I have had terrible, rude and disrespectful encounters with the manager there, parking is not an easily resolved situation in Storrs Downtown.

 

[LIuconn]

I can't believe they're screwing up the only shot at any sort of 'college town' we have. Unreal

 

[Fishy]

Parking is a pain in the ass.

If you aggressively ticket, merchants are pissed. If you don’t, merchants are pissed.

And customers are pissed if they get a ticket and pissed if they can’t find a spot.

It ain’t easy....if these towns don’t get the parking balance right when planning these centers, they’re not going to sort it afterwards.

 

[Jimdish255]

They would have to write 60 tickets per day to make that math work. Doesn't sound right. And it isn't.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated that LAZ Parking made $635,103.81 in parking violations - which was in fact the total revenue. This has been corrected for the actual parking violation revenue.

Sounds like this is more about a Town setting bad policy or not being willing to help solve a capacity problem. I'm sure they like the revenue stream but that goes away fast if they kill the businesses.

 

[Devland]

The parking garage in Storrs center is free for the first two hours. It seems like the perfect deal for the merchants. Long enough for people to eat or shop but not long enough for students attending class to park for free. Every time I've been there, there's been plenty of spots in the garage and I have eaten and gotten out without having to pay to park.

 

[B1GEast]

Is anyone surprised that a company like Laz is making a killing?

Tony Soprano's companies are always profitable