DES MOINES, Iowa — The City of Des Moines parking meters, along with the airport and locally-owned parking lots, have lost money during the pandemic.
“We got a lot of empty space," said Thom Wierenga, manager at Keck Parking. "We’ve actually started doing some RV and boat storage to try and fill some of the empty space.”
Keck Parking is across from the Des Moines International Airport.
“It is a little bit eery coming out to the airport and not seeing as many cars," said Kayla Koverna, a spokesperson for the airport. "Our parking is down for the month of November 61 percent when we compare it to 2019."
The airport has even had to close two lots as a result.
In downtown Des Moines, the city estimates a loss of $3.25 million in metered parking and parking ramps.
City leaders told Local 5 this was all driven by COVID-19.