by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (June 3, 2019) – Though Fox Pointe Director Tony Troncozo did not provide an estimated capacity that the Fox Pointe venue can accommodate for shows and events, Village Communications Director Ken Reynolds calculates that 2,500 people could stand in the lawn and pavilion area. Because the venue is nestled in an area that is both residential and commercial, ensuring adequate parking for that many people has been a priority throughout the development of the project.
A combination of parking lots and on-street parking is available within the approximately two-mile circumference around Fox Pointe. Guests are encouraged to use all municipal parking lots as well as any open spots on Ridge Road. Parking on side streets is allowed, but patrons are reminded to obey all posted signage for legal parking and to be respectful of private property.
The Village released a map showing nearly 900 parking spaces currently available, with another 100 to be added this summer. The map is designed to make these pockets of parking easy to find by out-of-town guests as well as Lansing residents.
As indicated more clearly on the above image, Fox Pointe parking is available in the following locations:
Parking lots
A Municipal Center (87 spaces)
B History Plaza (16 spaces)
C Roy St North (65 spaces)
D Clock Tower Plaza (73 spaces)
E Post Office (126 spaces)
F Firefighters Memorial (23 spaces)
G Lake St North (44 spaces)
H Lake St South (20 spaces)
I William St (53 spaces)
J Ridge Rd / Roy St (12 spaces)
K Roy St / Ada St (87 spaces)
L American Legion (94 spaces)
M Sherman St (45 spaces)
N Future Parking Lot (71 spaces)
O Future Parking Lot (29 spaces)
Is there any Handicap parking???
Hi Richard, thanks for the question. I just reached out to the Village to get more information about this.
The short answer is Yes, there is handicapped parking. The longer explanation is this: All of the lots used for Fox Pointe parking are also used for other businesses during the week—the post office, Gayety’s, and even some apartments over the buildings south of Fox Pointe. So the designated handicapped parking spots are located where it’s convenient for those businesses. There are some parking spots close to the main entrance of Fox Pointe, but if the Village turned those into permanent handicapped parking, then they would be unavailable to the businesses who need them throughout the week. So the Village will be assessing the parking situation throughout the 2019 season to make sure Fox Pointe can accommodate anyone who wants to attend an event. They have a couple of options in place: (1) Depending on the event, they can temporarily designate some spots as handicapped parking, either by the main entrance or near the pavilion; and (2) They are training event volunteers to assist people who are dropped off near the main entrance while their driver parks farther away.
The fact that Fox Pointe is nestled in a residential area is part of its charm, and it also creates unique challenges such as the one you’ve mentioned. Community members and the Village are already working together to relieve and parking-related strain. For example, at last week’s event, many attendees walked to the venue instead of driving and taking up a parking spot. And the Village has made bike racks available along Henry Street, so people can bike over instead of driving.