SACO — The city will soon have more public parking in the downtown.

The City Council Tuesday night approved the purchase of a 1.4 acre parcel at 142 Main St. to expand downtown parking. The property sits between the train tracks and the Saco River, and has a lighted 96-space parking lot, according to a real estate advertisement.

Money for the $450,000 purchase came from multiple revenue streams - $100,000 from the 77 Industrial Park Tax Increment Financing (TIF), $125,000 from the downtown TIF, and $225,000 from the Economic Development Fund. Money from the city’s Economic Development Fund comes from the sale of city owned properties such as lots in industrial parks.

Angela Presby, executive director of Saco Main Street, said that the city’s decision to add more public parking in the downtown was great news. Saco Main Street is a non-profit downtown organization that organizes downtown events like the Pumpkin Harvest Festival, which had an estimated 7,500 attendees.

“Additional parking options will be beneficial to all Main Street merchants, as well as provide parking for those who attend our events and festivals. I'm looking forward to having a dedicated public parking lot where people can park, have a bite, enjoy our shops and stay a while,” said Presby.

A study completed by Stantec engineering consultant firm and city staff in 2022, found 2,156 parking spaces in the downtown area. About 80 percent of these parking spaces are reserved for customers, tenants, or visitors of the business or establishment with which the parking is associated. The 2022 study found that only 20 percent of the overall Saco downtown parking supply was available for the general public.

According to census data included in the study, the majority of households in Saco own a car, with only 3.5 percent not owning a vehicle. About 82 percent of Saco residents over 16 drive alone in their daily commutes, while nearly 11 percent carpool. About 2 percent walk or bike, and about .2 percent take public transit.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.