Proposed parking program will be considered by St. Joseph City Commission on March 16

St. Joseph, Michigan, March 9, 2026—Following robust community outreach and input, a revised draft of a downtown parking program will be considered by the St. Joseph City Commission during its March 16 meeting.

The proposed parking program has undergone significant changes since the initial 2025 rollout and subsequent program pause, including reducing the number of paid spaces by nearly 80%, from 807 to fewer than 200. Under the plan:

• Paid spaces would include only the highest-demand on-street spaces.
• All parking lots would be free.
• Free three-hour parking would be available in the Apricot, Blueberry and Cherry lots, as well as along Lake Boulevard and lower-demand side streets.
• There would be a mix of free and paid parking on both sides of Main Street.

"In developing this proposed parking program, we engaged more than 150 City residents, downtown businesses, property owners and local and non-local visitors, listening to their feedback and incorporating ideas into the proposal," said Kelly Ewalt, development director for the City of St. Joseph. "It's been really important for us to get as many perspectives as possible from our stakeholders so we can create a program that best balances the City's goals of reducing parking congestion and diversifying downtown revenue streams without negatively impacting quality of life for our residents and businesses.

"Over 100 people attended our parking open houses in February and gave feedback on the initial 2026 proposal. It was great to have conversations with our community and hear what people did and didn't like about the program. From there, the Parking Subgroup was able to adjust the program even more to respond to some of the themes we heard."

The changes made following the Open Houses include:

• Shortening the parking program season from June 1 through Labor Day weekend—down from Memorial Day through Labor Day. This change reflects feedback from businesses on when tourism typically picks up in the summer.
• Reducing the program hours to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.—down from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. This reflects later opening times for businesses and accommodates morning walkers as well as evening and dinner crowds.
• City residents will be able to park for free. Free parking passes would be made available through the same process used for parking passes for City parks.

"The Parking Subgroup has made significant changes that we hope will resonate with residents, businesses and visitors alike," Ewalt said. "This version of the program really focuses on creating turnover directly in front of businesses, making it easier for customers while keeping most downtown parking free."

As before, 80% of the net revenues from the downtown parking program will be reinvested into the downtown. The Parking Subgroup's goal is to foster a vibrant, year-round downtown district by improving access to local businesses so they can thrive.

The March 16 City Commission meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Details for the meeting and proposed downtown parking program are avaialble online at sjcity.com.

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The City of St. Joseph is a historic town located off of I-94 between Chicago and Detroit, nestled beside the mouth of the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan. With a population of about 7,800, the small town features a quaint downtown with local shops, historic buildings and brick streets overlooking a clear view of Lake Michigan sunsets and the iconic inner and outer lighthouses. St. Joseph is the Berrien County seat and home to the popular county-owned Silver Beach.