The Blue Star Arts Complex — a popular drop-in for joggers and bikers heading out on the Mission Reach trails — plans to start charging for use of its parking lot.
The move comes as local business owners in the complex have fought over parking space in recent years, particularly since the rise of more frequent vendor markets at Brick at Blue Star.
“The parking lot is crazy,” said Jimmy Hover, head mechanic at Blue Star Bike Shop, which has been open since 2009. “I hate to blame it on Brick, but when you have 60 or so vendors and maybe a hundred parking spaces, there’s not too many customers that can get in.”
A flyer that’s been attracting comments on the “We Are Southtown” Facebook group said Blue Star plans to use LAZ Parking’s text-to-pay system starting sometime in 2025.
The cameras were installed several weeks ago, but it’s unclear whether paid parking will be required around the clock, or just on weekends and during big events.
Lifshutz Companies, a developer that owns Blue Star Arts Complex, is currently studying the lot to determine how the parking fees can be used to manage overcrowding.
“More details will be released once this study concludes,” commercial property manager Jennifer Perez Solis said in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure that Blue Star’s customers always have a parking spot and that the transition is seamless!”
The flyer said rates will be “affordable,” and many businesses will offer parking validations.
Hover said he understands why bikers gravitate to the Blue Star, but they don’t always respect that it’s a private parking lot.
“Bikes are fun and the trails are here,” Hover said. But on weekends, “I often see people pulling their bikes off their car and taking it out on a trail, leaving their car there all day.”
Hank Lee, owner of San Angel Folk Art, said the complex’s ownership has been dealing with tenants fighting over the issue, and explored other options before announcing the plan to charge for parking.
“They’ve tried to resolve it so many ways, and they’ve had so many meetings… but it’s hard for the businesses to survive without parking,” said Lee, who has had his folk art store in the complex since 1989.
“I don’t like anything to ever change,” he said. “But I understand that they’re just trying to move forward and resolve a situation, because they’re tired of hearing complaints about the same issue.”
