The parking lot at Young Street and King Street West in Kitchener closed indefinitely on Sunday.

The closure will make way for a new mixed-use condo building.

It's the latest in a series of parking lot closures in downtown Kitchener.

But that's what residents want, according to Cory Bluhm, director of economic development for the City of Kitchener.

"As we continue to grow into a big urban centre, you see less and less service parking lots and more buildings, which leads to more vibrancy and excitement on King Street," said Bluhm.

Bluhm said when residents were consulted, they wanted more retail space and housing.

He said eliminating parking is also part of a municipal strategy to make community members less reliant on vehicles as a means of getting around.

"We really want people walking, taking transit and biking," said Bluhm.

Bluhm said despite closures, there should be no shortage of parking. Kitchener operates about 3,000 parking spaces, in addition to 5,000 privately-owned spaces across the city.

City hikes parking rates

The city has recently raised parking prices at many of those spots.

Bluhm said that's because it's expensive for the city to offer the parking.

"In fact, it costs us much more to operate a parking space than what we charge," he said. "One of our main objectives, and this is really a community objective, is shifting away from sole reliance on the automobile as the way to get around."

He said walking and cycling are more affordable, and that all city lots are free for use after 5 p.m.

Clarence Woudsma is the director of the school of planning at the University of Waterloo. He says the city shedding parking spots is no surprise, and the city is trying to encourage more mixed development.

"I mean, you imagine how much that land is worth — surface parking lots on King Street in downtown Kitchener? And is parking a vehicle there, stationary, not being utilized as an asset 90 per cent of the time really the best use of that land?" said Woudsma.

"I would not be concerned by the loss of those surface parking lots. I think it's part of a co-ordinated effort to provide, yes, still parking, but in 2019, there's lots of other options available for people moving in the downtown."

Woudsma called the elimination a healthy thing for the community.