Parking Lots Speak Volumes of Your Shopping Centers

Shopping — By Shopping Blogs on December 15, 2009 2:26 pm

Are you are the owner of shopping centers or malls? If so, then you understand the importance of a maintenance crew who will ensure that the parking lot is up to code and meeting all of the city ordinances.

Common parking lot regulations include enforcement of how close a parking lot may be to a public street, how many handicapped parking spaces there must be and how wide those spaces have to be. The city may require that you state who will be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the lot and what materials the lot must be made of.

In some cases, shopping centers are even responsible for a portion of the roadway leading to their parking lot. Further regulations will require the parking lot to be accessible during certain times each day or permit overnight parking. Also, some municipalities may request that the center keep video surveillance on the lot or post disclaimer signs to legally remove any responsibility for damage done to parked cars. Furthermore, a sign is usually required that displays the property owners right to have a vehicle towed at the vehicle owners expense.

If shopping centers do not have enough land to provide the required number of parking spaces, they may elect to build a parking garage, which leads to a whole new set of rules and regulations. Some of the regulations may require separate permits or consideration for each entrance and exit the garage will have on the public streets.

Once a parking lot is up to code and complies with the regulations and requirements, the upkeep and maintenance for the lot will have to have a dedicated staff. Not every shopping centers owner will want to employ their own team of parking lot maintenance personnel. Many owners choose to hire a third party company to handle the routine maintenance and repair of the lot and the buildings.

If you are considering hiring a third party maintenance company, here are come services you should look for to make sure you hire a qualified team.

• Asphalt Paving
• Sealcoating
• Crack Sealing
• Line Striping
• Winterizing Services
• Concrete Services
• Sweeping
• Snow and Ice Removal
• Resurfacing
• Patching and Repair
• Structural Maintenance

You should pay attention if there are special considerations because of your climate or seasonal changes. For example, a parking lot in Minnesota will require more winterized care and snow removal than a parking lot in Mississippi will ever need.

Beyond just keeping up with codes and regulations, a shopping centers owner must consider the retail spaces he holds as tenants and their customers. If the plaza hosts high-end retailers then the tenants will expect a higher level of upkeep and appearance than a low-end retailer would. This does not go to say that discount stores do not require a nice building with well-maintained parking lots, but typically a discount store is able to provide bargain items by keeping a very low overhead cost.

A center with a brand new parking lot will be able to rent out a space for a much higher price than a space with the same square footage in an older building with a lot in disrepair. The important thing is to know your target market and not overshoot your budget. If you cannot draw a higher price for your rent, then pouring a top of the line new parking lot is not worth your investment when you can get away with patching and sealing the lot.

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