Piedmont Road Businesses Could Charge for Parking

A quirky and cost-saving chapter of Buckhead’s history may be coming to an end with the institution of paid parking in lots along Piedmont Road.

The new owners of Securities Center, Atlanta Property Group, has announced that it will begin charging non-tenants for parking starting in the second quarter of next year, according to Atlanta Business Chronicle. Other Piedmont Road businesses will keep an eye on Securities Center’s changes and may soon follow suit.

For decades, businesses along Piedmont Road had been loath to charge for parking, but with the conversion of the area to a more walkable and less car-friendly environment and the booming commercial real estate market, landlords are starting to realize it only makes sense to make the change.

Curbed wonders if the coming changes to the “bastion of free parking in the city” could actually encourage commuters to leave their cars at home.