Springfield Mayor Dom Sarno says it is a pretty nice problem to have,'
So popular are events at the Mass Mutual Center in downtown Springfield that parking has become a nightmare, since the demolition of the Springfield Civic Center garage.
The Mayor though says it will get better with a new approach to parking on event nights in downtown.
The city will deploy additional teams of police officers on traffic detail on event nights to make sure that pedestrians are able to move freely as well as drivers.
A lot of people park at the casino and walk over event nights. But the mayor says that there will be other options as well.
Besides the casino the South and North Parking Garages on East Columbus Avenue will make 4 thousand spaces available.
Another thousand will be housed at Monarch Place.
Two thousand more at Tower Square and
a about 12 hundred other spaces at the Hampden Street lot.
The 40 million dollar state of the art parking garage and retail space will be on line sometime by 2024.