Many of our patrons have pointed out the increasing cost of using the Rose Garden Parkade adjacent to the Chan Centre.
In the past, parking at UBC was underwritten by UBC Parking Services with a small charge ($1-$1.50) applied to organizations using the Chan Centre for each ticket that was sold. UBC Parking absorbing the balance of the cost. The result was the appearance of “free” parking at the Chan Centre. This came to an end in 2009 when the Chan and its clients were informed by UBC Parking that they, on instructions from the UBC Board of Governors, could no longer underwrite the cost of event parking. This began a two year ramp-up to what UBC Parking perceived as revenue neutral rates.
We have discussed ths situation with our colleagues at the Chan Centre a number of times, but they are not in control of the parkade and are not able to offer any cost-reducing solutions.
While we do not have an ideal solution, we would like to suggest a few parking alternatives that you may wish to try. The North Parkade and the Fraser Parkade are short walks (5-7 minutes) from the front doors of the Chan. Neither are likely to have line-ups and they offer evening and weekend parking for $6. Both of these alternate lots are unattended.
You will find UBC parking maps here, and a searchable map can be found here. Additional information, including Translink information, can be found on the Chan Centre website.
Everyone at the Chan Centre and Vancouver Recital Society thank you for your patience and understanding. If you do have comments about this or any other topic, please feel free to send a message to Paul Gravett (VRS executive director).
Picture source: www.more-park.com
As the first Managing Director of the Chan Centre, when we opened, I was dismayed that the parking fee for the Rose Garden Parkade was set at $3.00. As well the fact of it’s ‘painstaking’ collection, slowed the ingress to the Chan, so that performance times were severely compromised. This cost and the lengthy delays significantly inhibited the attendance level for ALL events at the Chan, at a very crucial time of its development.
It took me THREE YEARS to negotiate with the parking Authority to allow free access to patrons. In return, I agreed to pay them $1.00 from every ticket sold. This more than covered their staffing costs for the events.
It was a win-win situation. Audiences grew and performances started on-time.
After I retired, I was extremely dismayed to note that the UBC Board and the Parking Authority, very soon, seized the ‘potential’ advantage of additional revenue and imposed the ridiculously high $7.00 fee, obviously ignoring the fact that the performances, graduations etc. at the Chan, were one of UBC’s main assets and were the reason the Chan was built in the first place. It was advertised in the Globe & Mail [before it was even built] as “One of the finest Entertainment Centres of the future”. UBC has apparently forgotten and forgone the tremendous opportunity they had and compromised it for the parking revenue…
PHILISTINES at the parking gates.
Good luck with your fight.
Michael Noon.
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As an employee of the Chan I have been dismayed at the decline of our business ever since this parking policy was put in. I love the Chan. It is a haven of culture and beauty. Our patrons love it too. But that little bit of extra cost discourages our patronage. The money gained by UBC is very insignificant compared to the decline in business, the sheer discouragement this petty and destructive policy has caused. Culture in Vancouver is under tight enough constraints as it is.
The parking policy is just plain stupid.
Get a brain and end it!
We stopped attending concerts there because of this. We are going tomorrow night and will look for alternatives. We were very disappointed when this fee came in.
It certainly makes more sense to include the parking charge in the price of the ticket. Less administration cost, and wasted time of patrons trying to figure out how and where to pay the parking fee.