Repositioning a Mature Garage in a Changing Market
Location: 10 E Ontario St Garage | Chicago, IL
Services: Commercial Parking Management, PARCS Technology Integration, Revenue Optimization
When Secure Parking USA assumed management of the 10 E Ontario St Garage in July 2024, the facility’s primary source of demand had abruptly shifted.
Located across from Bally’s Chicago Casino, the garage experienced initial traffic growth after the venue’s 2023 opening. However, demand stalled when a competing facility partnered with the casino to offer free parking to members. Guided by our founder’s philosophy – treating every garage as an individual retail business rather than a generic commodity – Secure Parking implemented a tailored operational strategy focused on proprietary technology, optimized traffic flow, and hyper-local community partnerships.
Hyper-Local Strategy & Community Stewardship
In a market like Chicago, where third-party aggregators dominate search and legacy operators hold long-standing venue relationships, standard digital marketing isn’t enough. Breaking through requires true community immersion.
Rather than relying solely on third-party aggregators, our local team took a hands-on, “boots on the ground” approach. We established direct relationships with neighboring hotel managers, venue operators, and commercial stakeholders to build co-branded validation opportunities. This retail-focused approach transformed the garage into a true community hub, establishing a reliable base of recurring local traffic to guarantee baseline revenue stability, while remaining agile enough to capture organic event spikes.
In-House PARCS Technology & Infrastructure Upgrades
Within 90 days of taking over operations, Secure Parking executed a complete site overhaul:
Operator-Built PARCS Integration
By deploying our own proprietary cloud-based PARCS hardware and software, we were able to customize both the parker and business-portal experience to the needs of our customers.
Custom Validation Networks
Our developers designed a validation portal for nearby hotels, and tailored solutions for other hospitality venues and retail businesses, establishing recurring revenue streams outside of casino traffic.
Optimized Traffic Flow
Entrance and exit lanes were identified as primary bottlenecks. Physical lane construction widened the entry and exit points, which we paired with updated wayfinding and a new exterior digital marquee, to maximize visibility and efficiency steps from Mag Mile.
Measurable Results
Combining hyper-local partnerships, expanded physical lane capacity, and in-house technology delivered clear, verifiable performance metrics:
Evaluate Your Parking Asset’s Performance
Uncaptured revenue, slow entry equipment, and excessive third-party software fees directly reduce Net Operating Income.
Contact Secure Parking Today to request a parking asset audit and review operational strategies for your facility.