A new partnership between the Reading Parking Authority and Berks Jazz Fest will help keep the festival downtown.
“The Berks Jazz Fest has the option to move shows from the Santander Performing Arts Center to the Scottish Rite Cathedral in West Reading,” John Ernesto, general manager of the fest said Wednesday, “but is committed to presenting shows in downtown Reading.”
This year’s Jazz Fest will be held April 1 through 10.
The annual music festival should be a positive experience for attendees, Ernesto said. However, he noted, traffic congestion and parking issues can detract from its overall enjoyment if not properly coordinated by all key players.
For help with parking issues, festival organizers turned to RPA.
The parking authority will provide staff in city garages to assist with questions, directions and any parking issues that may occur, Nathan Matz, authority executive director, said Wednesday.
Additionally, he said, RPA committed Wednesday to becoming the 31st music festival’s third largest sponsor.
“Reading Parking Authority is delighted to announce a new level to our existing partnership with fest coordinator Berks Arts,” Matz said, noting he is looking forward to working with festival organizers and volunteers during the upcoming event.
Concerns about downtown parking issues and the potential flight of Jazz Fest were brought to City Council on Monday by Michael Ehlerman, chairman of the Berks County Convention Center Authority, and Mike Fiucci, a convention center authority board member.
Issues came to a head in February after students and others complained they were charged $12 per vehicle for parking during the Berks Conference championship basketball game between Reading and Berks Catholic high schools at Santander Arena.
“We had tickets, $8 for adults and $5 for students, and 60% of our attendees were high school students, not just from Reading High but from other schools in the county,” Fiucci said.
The $12 parking fee seemed excessively high in comparison to the ticket prices, he said.
“We are having a lot of people complain, and I think it is hurting our attendance,” he said. “So when it hurts our attendance, it’s going to hurt the amusement tax we give back to the city, which pre-COVID was almost half a million dollars.”
Ehlerman said those parking at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel garage during a recent free event at the arena were charged $25 per vehicle, prompting a written complaint from the show’s sponsor.
Rates are set by the parking authority.
Rates charged during the events mentioned at council are standard and are posted along with other parking rates on the authority’s website, Matz said.
“Our relationship with the convention center authority is as strong as ever,” he said, “albeit still a work in progress.”
Ehlerman said he also received complaints from spectators who are disgruntled about the time it takes to exit the garages after arena events, particularly hockey games.
After a recent hockey game that drew 3,800 fans, vehicles were still exiting more than one hour after the game ended, he said.
At a meeting in January, Matz told City Council that the authority is looking into a new system that will make entering and exiting parking garages easier and quicker.
Fiucci raised concerns that Berks Jazz Fest, which draws thousands, could move its downtown concerts to suburban areas with free parking.
Ernesto said festival organizers are working with the parking authority and have had productive meetings with Matz.
“All the downtown partners need to work together to create a win-win for everyone,” he said.
Ernesto said the parking authority’s sponsorship will more than cover the $20 per volunteer parking voucher, per event, that the parking authority will charge the Jazz Fest.
The charge, about $25,000, is a 90% increase over previous years, he said.
“The parking authority is committed to ensuring that guests to the city feel welcomed and appreciated,” Matz said. “As the third largest sponsor of the event, we will continue to support the arts downtown.”
Justin Heimbecker, executive director of Berks Arts, which coordinates the music festival, said he was thrilled when he learned of Matz’s announcement.
“It’s a game changer,” Heimbecker said. “This allows us to continue our model. Our ticket prices will not be impacted in terms of making up for the cost of the parking passes.”
One of the missions of the Jazz Fest is to offer affordable events that will draw people downtown for multiple days and concerts, Heimbecker said. The great support from volunteers, local businesses, the community and key players such as the parking authority helps keep ticket prices down.
Events are scheduled at the Miller Center on the campus of Reading Area Community College, Santander Performing Arts Center on North Sixth Street, the DoubleTree and other downtown venues.
Ehlerman said the convention center authority, the arena and the performing arts center are still recovering from financial losses suffered during the height of the pandemic.
A $3 million American Rescue Plan Act grant from the city has helped significantly, he said, but ticket revenue is down about $22,000, or 19%, from prepandemic figures.
Meanwhile, he said, entertainment tax receipts for the city are up about $100,000, or 88%.
City Councilwoman Donna Reed asked the city’s legal team to research what ability, if any, council has to set parking rates.
Council President Jeffrey Waltman said he plans to meet with Mayor Eddie Moran, representatives of the parking and convention center authorities and others to discuss the parking issues raised at the council meeting.
Since one of the mayor’s duties is appointing authority members, Councilwoman Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz said, it is important that he be included and engaged in any discussions.
“To endanger our main entertainment venues is just not acceptable,” she said.
Source: Berkshire mont
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