Dear Editor,

Several businesses recently announced closings in downtown Danville – Main Street Furniture, Nellie Burton’s Steakhouse, Pies for You, and Art of Danville.  I believe that one of the reasons is the lack of convenient parking. One solution is to make the parking garage free. This has several advantages: it demonstrates that Danville is serious about supporting its downtown businesses; it says to visitors that Danville wants its downtown to be friendly and convenient; and it saves the city the cost of maintaining the fee-collecting equipment and the hassle of rescuing motorists stranded behind the gates. While the city would forego the revenue from the garage, I suspect that it doesn’t amount to much after expenses anyway.

So, I propose to open it up, announce it, and advertise “Free Parking” on the building. My guess is that it would be a win for everyone.

David Seidel

Danville