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AROUND THE INDUSTRY
Pininfarina Creates State-of-the-Art Parking Garage for City Ridge
ITALIAN DESIGN HOUSE PININFARINA has been selected to design an underground parking garage to support the forthcoming City Ridge development in Washington, D.C. The product of a joint venture between Roadside Development and North America Sekisui House LLC, City Ridge features just over 315,000 square feet of LEED (V4) designated commercial space and 690 residential units across the former Fannie Mae headquarters and nine new buildings—the first of which was completed in mid-November, with the second set to top out this month.
Leveraging a rich automotive legacy and extensive expertise in the field of transportation design, Pininfarina was tapped to develop a concept for the three-level garage that sits beneath the impressive new development, as well as its two distinct entrances, and establishes a cohesive and intuitive experience for both visitors and residents alike.
Designed to connect each of City Ridge’s structures with one another in a refined, yet functional way, Pininfarina’s concept for the garage helps serve a larger purpose. Mirroring the development’s approach to an urban village lifestyle, the inspiration behind the design asks drivers to slow down and maintain awareness of their surroundings—even several stories underground. This is achieved through a bifurcated approach, where an initial, multi-colored scheme transforms into one hallmarked by natural materials and a darker tonality, complemented by an abundance of greenery and bright-white geometric lighting. The resulting is a one-of-a-kind parking experience that is both unique and recognizable simultaneously.
Recalling the aesthetic of the historic Fannie Mae building around which City Ridge is centered, both entrances are cloaked in undulating brick and feature a 16-foot clearance to allow large delivery trucks to move seamlessly under the largely walkable development without disrupting the flow of traffic. Inside, each level of the parking structure will include tailored branding elements and geometric wayfinding keys, with a design aesthetic and material selection that will evolve from commercial to more residential as drivers descend. Graphics on the structure concrete pillars and on the ground ensure that guests know which way to walk to reach City Ridge’s various venues while helping create a mental path from entry to exit for all visitors. To further support the intuitive nature of the structure, levels will be divided into color-coordinated zones which correspond with the intent of each entrant –– with one hue designated for temporary visitors, concentrated largely on the upper levels, and another for residents, which will lead them to a more private zone of the garage.
The final concept for the garage will also account for a variety of services to equip the garage to evolve with changing patterns in human mobility, including app-based parking services, electric charging stations and capabilities for driverless cars. Currently in the construction phase, the garage is expected to be complete by spring 2022.
Victoria Park Council Teams Up With Award-Winning Virtual Permit Provider to Improve Parking Options For Local Residents
THE TOWN OF VICTORIA PARK has launched, vPermit, a virtual parking permit solution developed by Australian parking technology company Smarter City Solutions, as part of its efforts to improve residential parking access and modernize the council’s parking management system.
The Town of Victoria Park is located immediately south-east of Perth CBD. It is home to a wide range of businesses and attractions, including Optus Stadium, which has a capacity of over 60,000 people and hosts upwards of 45 major sporting and entertainment events per year. As a result, the streets of Victoria Park are subject to the overflow of event goers scouring for parking on event days, which can be a burden on surrounding residents.
To counteract the influx of cars, The Town of Victoria Park engaged Smarter City Solutions to deliver a tailored, digital solution that addresses the current parking challenge and simplifies the permit application process via their virtual platform.
Amadeus Rainbow, coordinator parking for the Town of Victoria Park, says, “Smarter City Solutions has worked closely with the parking team and guided us through a seamless process in implementing a very user-friendly system.”
Michael Doherty, head of business development for Smarter City Solutions, says that based on previous experience of delivering virtual permits to councils around Australia, the implementation of virtual permits in Victoria Park should be well received and help streamline the process of residential parking management.
“We are delighted to be partnering with the Town of Victoria Park to help them embrace technology and deliver a progressive parking solution to its residents. The residents of Victoria Park will now be able to easily apply for and manage their parking permits through vPermit so they can conveniently access parking near their homes,” he says.
ZENITEL ANNOUNCED the promotion of Bruce Czerwinski to vice president of sales and business development.
Czerwinski has more than 15 years in the security communications industry, having joined Zenitel in 2018 as western regional sales leader. In his time with Zenitel, Czerwinski has helped to contribute to unprecedented company sales growth and has established solid relationships with Zenitel customers.
Czerwinski will be responsible for Zenitel’s North American go-to-market strategy and all sales-related functions, including sales engineering and sales operations. His reputation as a team player, passionate listener and strategist has earned him recognition from his colleagues.
“It is my extreme pleasure to share this news,” says Dan Rothrock, president of Zenitel Americas. “Since joining Zenitel, Bruce has built a world-class sales territory that is designed to grow into the foreseeable future. I am thrilled with the progress he has made, and I am confident that his sales leadership will guide Zenitel to even greater success.”
““This is a great opportunity to continue to strengthen Zenitel’s reputation as the leader in intelligible communications in the marketplace,” says Czerwinski. “We have an excellent team and great partner network in place that we can continue to build new capabilities with, offering our customers world-class audio solutions.”
Czerwinski will remain based out of the Seattle, Wash., area.
ParkMobile and TIBA Parking Systems Partner To Provide Contactless Parking Payments in Gated Garages
PARKMOBILE announced a new strategic partnership agreement with TIBA Parking Systems, a member of the FAAC group, to provide contactless payment options at gated garage locations.
The integration between the two technology leaders will make it easier for consumers to pay for parking at gated garages, reducing wear and tear on the physical parking equipment. Amid COVID-19 concerns, many parking operators are quickly adding contactless payment options to reduce the potential spread of the virus.
ParkMobile has over 20 million users who will be able to use the app to pay for parking at TIBA’s +1.9 million parking spaces across the country. People parking in a garage with TIBA solutions and hardware can simply pull a ticket from the entry station to lift the gate and enter the garage. Instead of interacting with pay stations or cashiers, ParkMobile users proceed to the exit and simply scan the ticket barcode to lift the gate.
“It is great to bring two parking technology leaders together to create a better experience for the consumer,” says Levi Rinkoff, executive vice president of partnerships and alliances at TIBA. “The integration between TIBA and ParkMobile will provide a safe and easy way to make parking payments at any location with TIBA equipment. The outcome of this partnership is a comprehensive platform for combined online and drive-up data, smarter yield management, and a better process for supporting our customers and their parking guests.”
Legacy Parking Names Glenn Kurtz Senior Vice President
CHICAGO-BASED LEGACY Parking Company, a premium professional parking management firm serving the commercial real estate industry, is pleased to announce the hiring of Glenn Kurtz as senior vice president of strategic initiatives. Kurtz is a 30-year parking and transportation veteran and will be working out of Legacy’s Atlanta office.
Kurtz is responsible for identification, integration, and alignment of all growth-related activities in the southeastern U.S., including marketing and sales, consulting, growth management, new markets, and customer relations.
Kurtz also possesses a comprehensive background in mobility management and smart growth strategies, which he and other members of the Legacy team will leverage to drive growth in the company. Understanding that technology and data are becoming fundamental in the efficient operation of parking and transportation systems, Kurtz looks forward to integrating these strategies to maximize revenue and reduce expenses for our clients.
Kurtz joins Legacy from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he served as director parking operations. He directly managed and operated 14 parking decks and 30 surface lots totaling 12,500 parking spaces. During his tenure, Georgia Tech was designated as an Accredited Parking Organization by the International Parking and Management Institute, constructed a state-of-the-art 800-space parking facility, and increased gross revenue by 15 percent. Prior to Georgia Tech, Kurtz was an executive vice president at Lanier Parking Solutions where he was responsible for developing and marketing new services that integrated parking and transportation demand management strategies. In addition, Kurtz was active in all aspects of business development and operations.
Joe Wenderoth, CEO of Legacy Parking Company, says, “We are thrilled to add Glenn to our senior management team and anticipate a significant shift in our approach to parking and transportation initiatives offered to our clients and customers over the coming years. As our industry continues to evolve, we are challenged daily to adapt to developing technologies, societal demands and the rethinking how the new workplace will impact parking and transportation patterns. Glenn’s experience and expertise will be critically important to how we manage our business moving forward. I cherish the 20-year relationship I’ve had with Glenn and could not be more excited to have him as a key member of the Legacy team.”
Kurtz serves on the Parking Association of Georgia Board and is chair of its education committee. He has been actively involved and supported a myriad of civic, charitable and professional organizations. He was president of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Board and is presently chair of the South Fork Conservancy Board. Glenn is also an avid cyclist.
