Place de la Cité installs barriers: visitors must pay after two hours of use on weekdays

The introduction of a parking rate at Quebec City’s Place de la Cité shopping center is raising eyebrows, but the building’s owner, the Mach Group, has promised it has no choice but to do it to combat abuse.

Recently, people heading to the Place de la Cité have noticed the appearance of automated parking barriers. As employees returned to the building, Mack’s group explained that it was difficult to find boxes for visitors.

Instead of having to pay a monthly pass to go to work two or three days a week at an office, workers used the spaces for mall users. Place de la Cité employs no less than 4,000 people, nearly half of whom work in Retreat Quebec, where it is headquartered.

“The new post-pandemic reality, regarding the flexibility of face-to-face work requirements among our office tenants, means that their employees are trying by all means to avoid monthly prices by using boxes reserved for a significant number of visitors,” he said. Michel Ayotte, vice-president, Quebec office, for Mach.

To combat this problem, the owner of the premises implemented new technologies to provide a convenient menu for the office workers. Additionally, there is two hours of free parking for visitors to shop. Mr Ayotte said the barriers would be lifted by the weekend.

Place de la Cite also wanted to avoid becoming a park-and-ride lot when the tramway eventually came into service, the manager added.

Frustrated customers

Although they benefited from two free hours, customers met on site News magazine Wednesday was a surprise and a shock. As we have seen on several occasions, some even tried to go backwards to avoid obstacles.

“When we saw this, we went to the parking lot on the other side of the street, on the Laurier Quebec side, where we crossed on foot. I don’t understand. This is ridiculous. We have been coming here for years and never faced this problem. It’s disgusting. At least there is an option: go to the other side,” said one customer.

Traders at the mall heard about the policy change.

“It’s a bit confusing. It’s a business that wasn’t profitable before and suddenly it changes. There’s a lot of people who don’t like it. There’s a lot of people who still pay in cash,” argued Wilson Michael, manager of the Normandin restaurant.