The City of Royal Oak is partnering with local businesses to launch a ‘Thank You for Parking’ campaign encouraging visitors and residents to park in one of the nearly 2,000 available spaces in the three city-owned downtown parking garages.
Four downtown Royal Oak businesses have joined in on the campaign offering anything from free fries to 15 percent off a purchase for parking in a garage. The promotion is designed to raise awareness of the multitude of parking options throughout downtown Royal Oak. Each week of May, a different business will provide a discount or special.
Downtown Royal Oak has three city-owned parking garages with a new 581-space parking garage being built along 11 Mile scheduled to open in June. In all city-owned garages, North Lafayette, South Lafayette and Center Street, parking is free for the first two hours before 5 p.m. People can even arrive at one of these garages at 4:55 p.m. and still receive two hours of free parking until 6:55 p.m.
Businesses participating in the ‘Thank You for Parking’ campaign include:
• Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters, 115 S. Main St., is offering 15 percent of an order from May 1 through May 10 by showing a garage parking receipt.
• Mr.B’s Gastropub, 215 S. Main St., is offering a free side of fries with any burger or sandwich from May 11 to May 17 by showing a garage parking receipt.
• Toyology Toys, 119 S. Main St., is offering 10 percent off an order from May 18 to May 24 by showing a garage parking receipt.
• Freshii, 304 S. Main St., is offering free Energii Bites when spending $10 or more from May 25 to May 31 by showing a garage parking receipt.
For quick stops downtown, Royal Oak implemented a pilot program for 30-minute parking spaces, to allow for faster, more convenient short-term parking, including food delivery, in the downtown area in December 2018. The program includes five designated parking spaces with 30-minute meters along Main Street between 11 Mile Road and Fourth Street, located near Diamonds Steak and Seafood, Bruegger’s Bagels, Starbucks, FedEx Office Print & Ship Center and Verizon Wireless.
The new 11 Mile parking garage opening in June, will have 20 handicap spaces as well as 23 adjacent surface level parking spaces along the garage in the Royal Oak Way alley behind Main Street between 11 Mile and Third Street.
The new 11 Mile parking garage is part of the Royal Oak Civic Center project which is 35 percent complete. The parking garage is the furthest along opening in June, and the new Royal Oak City Hall and Royal Oak Police Station are under construction. Once the City Hall and Police Station are built, the current City Hall and Police Station will be razed to make way for downtown Royal Oak’s first community park. For more information about the project and to download a parking guide, please visit www.rethinkro.com.