Behind the Scenes of Drive-thru Innovation

How Millennium Garages is finding creative uses for parking facilities.

The past year and a half have presented the world with a
breadth of challenges that impacted everyday life. Most industries saw economic
impacts that were impossible to prepare for and devastating for many. For other
businesses, COVID inspired creative, dynamic responses. The parking industry is
no exception, and Millennium Parking Garages is emerging from the pandemic as a
leader in innovation and adaptivity.

In 2019, Millennium Parking Garages partnered with City Tech
to launch the Millennium
Gateway Innovation Lab. The Lab focuses on collaborative innovation and strategic
partnerships to integrate parking into urban transportation systems, to develop
tech-enabled solutions for smart infrastructure management, and to cultivate
value-added services and creative space uses.

The Lab is continuing to move forward with support from
industry experts including SP+, Arrive, the National Parking Association, the
International Parking & Mobility Institute, and the City of Chicago. As the
mobility efforts continue to ramp up – including managing curbside demand, improving
indoor mapping and wayfinding, and optimizing electric vehicle charging – much
of the creative work is happening behind the scenes…quite literally.

While traditional theaters remained shuttered in compliance
with social distancing requirements, Millennium Parking Garages recognized an
opportunity to support Chicago’s arts and culture community by providing a new
type of stage. Together, Millennium Parking Garages and the Lyric Opera of
Chicago created a one-of-a-kind partnership to produce a drive-thru
entertainment experience.

Twilight:
Gods
is an adaptation of the final chapter of Wagner’s Ring
cycle, which was originally slated for the Lyric Opera’s 2020/2021 calendar. In
response to COVID constraints, the Lyric Opera reimagined the production as a socially
distanced, drive-through performance that ran from April 28th
through May 2nd in the lower level of Millennium’s Lakeside Garage. The
production included 6 stages through which attendees’ vehicles meandered (paced
by a hearse!) while staying tuned-in to the live performances on a dedicated
radio station. Tickets
for the event sold out immediately, though, a wider audience will be able
to share in the fun later this summer when a video version of the experience is
released.

This partnership inspires further consideration into what
kind of creative programming a parking garage can offer long-term. Will garages
become consistent entertainment venues? Some garages integrated
cloud-kitchens in the past year
as food delivery demand as continued to
rise. And, earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal shared a story of parking
facilities serving as makeshift training sites
for runners and other
athletes.

As the world continues to shift around us, one thing is for
certain: parking facilities are destined to be more than just a place to park
your car. City Tech Collaborative is looking forward to expanding on these
concepts and welcoming others to optimize Millennium Parking Garages, a unique
asset in Chicago, that can set an example for proactive adaptation as the
parking industry and cities’ needs continue to evolve.

About the Author: Kate Calabra is the
Partnership Development Manager at City Tech. Kate works to facilitate
strategic partnerships and collaboration to build solutions for critical city
challenges. Before joining City Tech, Kate managed corporate sponsorships and
coordinated national, educational events as a Senior Associate at the American
Planning Association. Previously, she was a Fellow at the Metropolitan Planning
Council, a Chicago-based nonprofit that develops and promotes strategies for
equitable, regional growth. Kate holds a bachelor’s in Public Policy with a
concentration in Urban Studies as well as a bachelor’s in Community Psychology
from DePaul University. Currently, Kate is a member of Women in Planning and
Development. Kate also serves on the Associate Board of Housing Opportunities
for Women as well as the Events Committee for Territory, a nonprofit focused on
strengthening civic engagement and community involvement among Chicago’s youth.

About City Tech Collaborative (City Tech): City Tech is an urban
solutions accelerator that tackles problems too big for any single sector or
organization to solve alone. City Tech’s work uses IoT sensing networks,
advanced analytics, and urban design to create scalable, market ready
solutions. Current initiatives address advanced mobility, healthy cities,
connected infrastructure, freight, and emerging growth opportunities. City Tech
was born and raised in Chicago, and every city is a potential partner.
Visit www.CityTech.org and
follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the Millennium Gateway Innovation Lab: The
Millennium Gateway Innovation Lab is a groundbreaking partnership to shape the
future of the parking industry and urban mobility. As a consortium of asset
owners, parking and mobility operators, technology providers, policymakers, and
other thought leaders, Lab participants work to integrate parking more fully
into urban transportation systems, develop tech-enabled solutions for smart
infrastructure management, and cultivate value-added services and space uses.
The Lab is part of the Advanced
Mobility Initiative at City
Tech Collaborative, an urban solutions accelerator that tackles problems
too big for any single sector or organization to solve alone.  Founding
members and strategic partners of the Millennium Gateway Innovation Lab
include Millennium
Garages, SP+, Arrive, the National Parking Association,
the International
Parking & Mobility Institute, and the City of Chicago.
Learn more at www.CityTech.org/Parking-Innovation.