Developers looking at new Metra parking option

Area commuters spending years waiting for a parking permit at the Route 59 Metra station soon may be able to buy a space of their own.

Railway Plaza 8, LLC wants to turn its land near the station on the Naperville/Aurora border into a commuter parking lot.

Naperville resident and developer Jeff Jones, an investor in Railway Plaza 8, said the group planned to develop an office or retail building on the site but, given the state of the economy, decided a parking lot might be a better business venture.

Naperville and Aurora both have parking lots at the Route 59 Metra station. There are about 524 people on a waiting list for a permit in Naperville's lot and 2,700 waiting in Aurora. The typical wait for a permit on the Naperville side is a little over two years while Aurora commuters wait about five to six years.

Railway Plaza 8 hopes to add another 170 to 180 spots to the mix on the 1.7 acres it owns adjacent the current train station parking lot. Each would be available to commuters to purchase or for a long-term lease for about $8,900 before construction on the lot begins.

Jones said a buyer who finances the purchase of their parking space would end up paying roughly $30 a month, compared to about $40 per month the cities charges residents.

"The parking situation is not getting better, people are waiting longer for a spot and financially it makes sense because it's something you can own and sell for more money down the road if need be and the interest and expenses on $8,900 is less than what you'd pay the city," Jones said.

Spaces in the new lot could be sold or transferred. Owners would pay an annual fee for snow plowing and other general maintenance services.

The proposal still needs Naperville's approval to move forward. It would have to go through the plan commission and city council to rezone the property, according to Marcie Schatz, director of transportation, engineering and development.

Schatz said the city has been encouraging commuters to use the new 95th Street Park-n-Ride and other public transit options but understands some commuters are frustrated if doing so does not fit their schedule.

Jones plans to meet with city staff in early December. If the project is approved, the group is hoping to have the lot ready in late winter or early spring.

For more information about the proposed commuter lot or to reserve a space, call (630) 383-2086. Railway Plaza is also constructing a Web site at parknaperville.com.