Citizens Parking (Lanier Parking Solutions) innovates to maximize parking revenue with sensitivity to client needs

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Chicago Construction News special feature

With more than five brands, 1,100 locations and 6,800 employees, Citizens (Lanier) Parking offers building owners and managers creativity, operational excellence, and financial discipline when it comes to managing parking and related needs. Through a recent acquisition, the company has added its expertise to the Chicago area.

Alan Kahn, Lanier Parking’s senior vice president – Midwest, is helping establish the company’s new Chicago presence. With more than 30 years in the parking industry, Kahn understands the demands of local business owners and managers, and the solutions Lanier provides. His past experience as vice chairman of the National Parking Association, and his work on various boards including the Center for International Rehabilitation, local BOMA and ULI organizations, means he remains connected to the industry to address those needs moving forward.

Kahn says Lanier Parking has expertise in several key areas: Commercial office, mixed use development, hotel, airport, retail, municipal, healthcare, residential, and stadium and arena venues. The company also offers special services including shuttle, special event, on-street parking and alternative transportation. “The common factor in each of these vertical areas is our commitment to client service as well as our ability to design custom marketing strategies to maximize Net Operating Income (NOI) for the client’s parking asset – true added value.”

The company’s client retention rate of more than 98 percent, he says, demonstrates its ability to deliver outstanding customer service and produce measurable results. “Our clients appreciate our high level of accountability, transparency delivered through extensive reporting and our track record of delivering real results.”

Lanier looks at each garage, he says, as a unique asset and prescribes a business strategy specific to that property. Parking garages are viewed as a unique asset class and Lanier treats each from an asset management perspective.

The company has an impressive resume of trophy office buildings in the commercial office asset class. Its approach here is to ensure that high level tenant and visitor service remain the top priority according to the client, but also focus on maximizing NOI as a dominant requirement, usually expected by the owner. “We excel at understanding the parking mix of a given garage and prescribing a custom marketing strategy to capitalize on demand.”

On the retail side, he says “unique programs including VIP and valet parking, shuttles and concierge service wrap parking into the overall parking experience. We actually add value to a retail space. Unlike some retail centers that shoppers avoid because of its parking challenges, shoppers are attracted by parking ease and convenience when Lanier is in the mix.”

The firm manages hotel and residential parking through its hospitality vertical where impeccable customer care is expected at the highest level. The company’s list of prestigious hoteliers includes the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Starwood, Marriott, and many others that require the top degree of luxury sensitivity in handling.

Heathcare parking management in hospitals and medical office buildings requires a unique sensitivity toward patient and visitor care, he says. “This vertical is dedicated to bringing the highest degree of personalized service to those people whose jobs are related to a medical center and to those who are sick/injured. We welcome the opportunity to design a program to fit the overall needs of the medical campus community.”

The latest addition to this growing company is its airport division. Lanier has attracted leading airport industry professionals with extensive experience who are applying techniques to enhance the parking experience while dramatically improving the key financial performance in an increasingly competitive environment.

Supporting municipalities, Lanier Parking engages with various levels of the community to better understand its needs, following up with delivery of services including on-street parking management, adjudication and citation processing, and the application of advanced technologies to enhance public sector parking operations.

“We’re excited to be able to bring our expertise and niche services to building owners and managers in the Chicago area. Our experience in developing unique custom solutions, combined with our team’s knowledge of the local area, ensures we will provide value and exceptional solutions to suit the market.”

Since 2014, Citizens Parking has grown to include major brands Lanier, ICON, Park One, AmeriPark, and Quik Park, encompassing 320,000 parking spaces across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit http://citizensparking/lanierparking.com, or call (613) 969-0046.

 

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