Eighty-four dollars can buy you a lot of things.
Based on asking prices listed on Kijiji Wednesday afternoon, it could net you two tickets to a Kitchener Rangers game, a pair of barely-used safety boots and a ceramic Christmas tree – with enough left over, if you so desire, for a Star Wars-themed rubber keychain.
Alternatively, you could spend 24 hours in Kitchener’s most expensive parking lot.
“It’s sort of ridiculous,” said Bruce Richmond, who parked in the lot for a brief period Wednesday.
“For 10 minutes, it’s not going to bother me – but the 84 bucks would.”
Located off Halls Lane, the lot offers a spot to stow your car for $5 for just 30 minutes. There is a daily maximum of $80, as well as a flat $4 rate for evening parking.
By contrast, city-owned downtown lots generally top out at $2.25 per hour.
City garages may be a bit more expensive, but they too come with a maximum of $14.50 for one day.
Stratford resident Kelton Braun spent the day working in Kitchener – and shocked at what the lot behind 55 King Street West was charging.
“Five hundred dollars gets you a whole year of parking in Stratford,” he said.
“Eighty-four dollars for a day – that’s highway robbery.”
The lot is owned by Dream, a Toronto-based property management company.
Requests for comment from CTV News were not responded to before this story was published.
City officials estimate that downtown Kitchener contains more than 8,000 parking spaces, of which the city runs 3,000 or so.
