New Year, New Opportunities, New Goals

On New Year’s Day, I like to take some time to unwrap my calendar for the new year, check out all the photos (usually dogs doing silly things), and then fill it in with all of the important things to remember throughout the year.

Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, due dates, vacations, business trips, annual macaroni and cheese competitions (wait, everyone doesn’t do this?), graduations and more are all inked into the year’s plan. It is amazing how many wonderful things we have to anticipate each year, and then there is the anticipation of not yet knowing what might fill up the rest of your calendar for the year. Will you receive an unexpected wedding invitation? Will Nsync finally schedule a reunion tour? Will you have the opportunity to take a trip for work?

And what about resolutions? Are New Year’s resolutions something you make? There’s arguments on both sides of the fence as to whether resolutions should or shouldn’t be made. For what it’s worth, here are my two cents: the new year is a perfect time to resolve to do something better, or many an improvement, or learn something new. There is something psychological about the changing of the calendar that makes it feel like I am making a fresh start. My goal is to be better every day than I was the day before. If setting a goal at the start of a new year can help someone become better than they were previously, I am all for it.

The Value of Indoor Parking

Have you ever hit the snooze button one too many times or just woke up a little later than planned? You spend the morning running around and getting everything ready for work and trying to decide if you have time to make coffee or swing through a drive thru on your way into the office. After realizing you are out of coffee filters anyway, the drive thru it is. Then, you get out to your car and it is freezing, so now you have to scrape the heavy frost off of the windshield. Because you are in a hurry, you go with the great driving style of leaning way down to view your path through the small part of the windshield that is actually staying defrosted. And because of all this, you no longer have time to stop and grab a cup of coffee. It is going to be a LONG morning! This is the reality of many renters during the winter months.

Indoor parking for tenants has several obvious advantages. A few of them are:

• Security

• Vehicle wear and tear

• Convenience

• Protection from the elements

One of the greatest advantages and sells of apartment garage parking is the added security. If you live in an apartment with only an open parking lot or parking on the street, you leave yourself and your vehicle far more exposed. This may not be much of a concern in a generally crime-free neighborhood and may not prove worth the additional cost, but it can prove quite an advantage in an area that's more prone to nighttime prowlers. Plus, you won't have to be as worried about walking alone to your building or remember not to leave anything valuable in your car for fear of attracting thieves.

These types of parking options also help the building owner to have a more successful property, allowing owners to charge a higher rent. These properties also oftentimes average a higher occupancy rate. Underground/indoor parking is common for multi-family residential, mixed-use, and senior living communities. Especially in the Midwest, people want the convenience of a climate-controlled parking area.

In a senior living community, under-structure parking is often a desirable amenity. It can provide a sense of security to tenants, protection from inclement weather (which is especially important to residents that might be more susceptible to falls), as well as offers some storage space.

In working on various projects in cities all over Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa, we have come to understand just how imperative the right parking offerings are to a project.

Indoor parking provides solutions to several potential issues and concerns. It also helps projects be more successful for owners. We are here to help. If you have any questions and want to speak about an upcoming project, please contact us at 800.236.1072 or sales@msprecast.com.