Paid Parking At West Side Market Starts Feb. 27

CLEVELAND, OH — Say goodbye to free parking at the West Side Market. Cleveland's iconic indoor and outdoor market space will institute paid parking starting Feb. 27 the city announced.

The lot behind the structure on W. 25th will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The first 90 minutes of parking will be free for anyone using the lot between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. After that, drivers will have to pay $1 an hour for taking up a space. A maximum fee of $10 per day can be levied against a car.

"As the West Side Market and Ohio City continue growing in popularity, the new parking structure will relieve congestion and improve overall customer experience for visitors. West Side Market vendors and Ohio City businesses helped the city establish the fee structure," the city said in a blog post.

The city said that its business day will conclude at 3 a.m. and the $1 per hour rate will begin again. That means cars that are parked in the lot overnight will have until 2:59 a.m. to vacate or the parking fee will restart.

There will be pay columns at the exits of each lot for parkers to use. The fee can be paid by credit or by cash at the Pay on Foot machines. Parkers will be required to take a ticket when they enter the West Side Market lot. That ticket will be used to pay for parking and to exit the lot. There will be uniformed parking "ambassadors" during the roll out period to assist customers with the equipment.

The money generated from the parking lot will partially be used to pay for the new parking structure and equipment. The money will also be used to fund capital improvements for the iconic West Side Market building.

The West Side Market did increase the size of its parking lot, adding more than 100 spaces to the lot. The city also installed additional lighting around the lot.

Photo: This April 24, 2016 photo shows the West Side Market with its distinctive clock tower in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland. The market gets a million visitors a year and is one of several attractions in Ohio City, including a booming dining scene and streets lined with Victorian homes. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)