The Challenge

A tight parking ratio with competing demands

From the start, property manager Starlina McKinny knew their parking availability was going to be one of their biggest challenges. 

With 303 total spaces — a portion of which were contractually committed to commercial tenants — the spot-to-resident ratio came in at just under 1:1 once future resident parking was factored in. 

The team didn’t just need parking for residents and commercial tenants, though. They also had to find a way to squeeze in guest parking, which is especially important for this property since they’re just down the road from Dodger’s Stadium — and minutes from downtown LA. Residents would expect to have access to parking for guests when heading to nearby events.

A location that brought risk and opportunity

Proximity to Dodgers Stadium meant high demand for parking on game days and during events. But without the right infrastructure, the team knew the demand would become more of a liability than an asset. 

Unauthorized vehicles, enforcement headaches, and a poor resident experience were all real risks — especially in an unassigned parking scenario where it would be too easy for outside parkers to slip in without authorization.

Starlina had seen how quickly parking could spiral at a nearby property she'd previously managed: 

“At another property I worked at just down the street, I could spend 2 hours per day adjusting parking because of the high demand in our area. I was determined to avoid those same challenges here.” 

At the same time, the team recognized that those empty spots on game days represented potential revenue they didn't want to leave on the table, especially during the lease-up phase.

The pressure of lease-up

In year one of opening a property, a lot of parking spots sit empty. The challenge for the team was twofold: generate revenue from those vacant spaces while simultaneously building a parking program that would scale smoothly as the building filled up. Doing it manually just wasn't an option.

The Solution

Greystar's standard approach is assigned parking, and Park East followed suit. But Starlina wanted more than just an assignment system — she needed a platform that could handle revenue management, short-term and event parking, and day-to-day operations without piling work onto her team.

"Parkade gave us the ability to take advantage of revenue streams I wouldn't have been able to manage on my own. We weren’t even sure we could offer guest parking, let alone monetize it. Parkade is the only reason that’s possible.” 

Self-serve parking assignments and 24/7 enforcement

With Parkade now in place, the team benefits from self-serve parking assignments for residents, and they can open up vacant spots for short-term and guest reservations.

Easy guest parking on game days and beyond

The team was particularly excited about the opportunities for short-term parking. With Parkade, they can seamlessly rent out vacant spaces for guests, and even enable event-based pricing for high-demand days — all in one platform. 

The results

From $0 to $8k/month in short-term parking revenue

Going into year one, the team didn’t expect to be able to offer paid guest parking at all, essentially putting their short-term parking revenue project at zero. The reality was dramatically different.

• $50,000 in short-term parking revenue in year one
• $8,000+ in several peak months

And this was all achieved at just 63% occupancy — well below the ~95% the team had anticipated at this stage of lease-up.

"Honestly, the numbers surprised us. We were nowhere near our occupancy targets, and we were still generating this kind of revenue from parking.” 

A $27k parking partnership with Netflix

Parkade also made it possible (and easy) for the team to rent out their vacant parking to nearby productions that needed the space. For example, they struck a $27,000 deal with Netflix for event parking. That’s $27,000 in revenue from parking spaces that would have otherwise sat empty, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Parkade’s flexible system. 

For communities located in areas with high parking demand, only a system like Parkade — with real-time data and powerful revenue management tools — makes it possible to rent out short-term parking while optimizing long-term parking for residents. 

Leverage for offering incentives

Additionally, this boost in revenue during the lease-up phase has helped the property stay competitive. The extra short-term parking revenue means they can be more flexible when it comes to offering concessions.

Meanwhile, long-term parking revenue continues to hold steady, most recently generating $25k in February at 65% occupancy — right on target with Parkade’s estimate.

Operational wins: The freedom to focus elsewhere

Beyond the revenue impact, the operational lift has been just as significant. With Parkade managing enforcement, tracking concessions, and handling resident communications, Starlina's team is no longer stuck in the weeds.

"This is the most organized and streamlined way I've ever managed parking. And I’ve worked with a lot of systems. Parkade just makes so much sense.”

Scaling parking past lease-up

Park East is still in lease-up, with occupancy continuing to climb toward its ~95% target. The parking program is already operating well above projections — and with Parkade in place, the team has a system that will scale with it.

What started as one of their biggest anticipated challenges has turned into one of their strongest ancillary revenue contributors.

Ready to transform parking at your property? Get in touch with our team today.