Fire station parking lot goes public in time for holiday shopping

The city will provide more parking spaces in the heart of the Village this holiday shopping season.

Village business owners are hoping people will do their shopping and have their holiday get-togethers in the Business Improvement District.

With that in mind, Wauwatosa's Board of Public Works on Monday authorized use of the south parking lot adjacent to Fire Station No. 1 as a public parking lot from 7 a.m. to midnight daily through Jan. 17.

The lot is expected to become available later this week or early next week when construction on the fire station is complete. A sign will be installed alerting Village patrons when the lot opens to the public.

Village officials have heard complaints about perceived parking shortages. There are several hundred spaces, but many require a short walk to get to local shops. With the winter chill setting in and the potential for shoppers to have arms filled with packages, the BID is trying to make parking more convenient for the holiday season.