"We don't ever want to get into that, not as a city." Councilman David Dickinson was talking about paid parking when Monroe City Council voted unanimously in June to lease the St. Alban's Episcopal Church lot. He also asked property owners running "pop-up" paid lots around town to stop.
That position explains this fall's changes. In about four months the city has added one free lot, rebuilt a second at a demolished corner, and scheduled a third for closure so it can be expanded. The timing lands on the stretch from Downtown Monroe Fall Fest through the 73rd Annual Christmas Parade. So the parking you know from last year won't match the parking you'll find this year. Most of the difference comes down to one lot that is opening and one that is closing, plus a church calendar.
The Lot on N. Broad That Used to Charge
St. Alban's Episcopal Church sits at 210 N. Broad Street, across from City Hall at the edge of downtown's shopping and dining district. Before the lease, the church had a private company running its lot as paid parking whenever worshippers weren't using it. The lot has 50 regular spaces and about half a dozen handicapped spaces.
Since the lease started July 1, the lot has been free to the public, with three exceptions:
- Sundays: closed to public parking all day.
- Wednesdays, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.: closed to public parking.
- Other dates: the church can close public parking with 48 hours' notice to the city.
The city pays the church $25,000 for the first year and $10,000 a year after that, through June 30, 2031. After that the lease renews one year at a time unless either side gives 90 days' notice. The church still handles maintenance and repairs on the lot.
The first-year payment is two and a half times the later ones. That makes this a multi-year arrangement, not a seasonal trial. For anyone planning evenings downtown, the church lot is the most dependable new parking within walking distance of Broad Street, as long as you remember the Sunday and Wednesday-evening rules.
The Corner Where the Troy Theatre Stood
The second change is a few blocks south, at the northwest corner of Broad and Washington streets. In September, the corner storefront was demolished, and Monroe Local reported that people driving through downtown were surprised to see it gone. Right now the site is an asphalt lot with a sandy square in front, split by a concrete path.
The Downtown Development Authority bought the property earlier this year. After looking at the building's condition, the city chose to tear it down and put in a green space facing the street, a rehabbed lot with a few added handicapped spaces, and no entrance from West Washington Street, which officials removed for safety. As with every city-owned lot, the spaces are free.
The corner has history. The Troy Theatre stood there from 1940 until a fire destroyed it in 1967. Steve Brown, co-founder and board vice president of the Monroe Museum, describes the Troy in its heyday as hosting thousands of "folks who could go downtown to the 'picture show.'" City officials have named rebuilding the Troy as the long-term goal for the site. They also say raising the money will take several years of grant searching.
For now, the corner gives you a few accessible spaces right on Broad and an open green spot in the middle of the block. Don't count on it as a big lot this season. Count on it as a convenient place to stop if you need an accessible space near the Washington Street end of the storefronts.
The Lot That Closes After Fall Fest
The third change takes parking away for a while. The City of Monroe has announced that starting in mid-October, after Fall Fest on October 10, the lot at West Spring Street and South Wayne Street will close for construction. Crews will realign the existing lot and add spaces, sidewalk improvements, stormwater drainage and better lighting. When the work is finished, the lot should have about 45 more spaces than it does now, including more handicapped spaces and charging stations.
There's no reopening date yet. The city says it will share updates and exact timelines closer to construction. Of the three changes, this is the only one without an end date. And it starts just as the holiday calendar fills up.
Fall Fest itself comes before the closure. The festival runs Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with artisan vendors, a Kids Zone, costume contests and Food Truck Alley. The festival's Eventeny listing gives one parking instruction: free shuttles run all day from the Monroe Police Department at 140 Blaine Street. That's the simplest choice on the busiest day of the fall, since vendors fill the downtown streets.
How the Holiday Calendar Lines Up With the Church Lot
This is where the St. Alban's rules matter. Downtown Monroe's Magical & Merry page lists the 2026 holiday schedule, and every event falls on a Thursday or a Saturday. None of them lands on a Sunday or a Wednesday evening, the two regular times the church lot is closed.
| Date | Day | Event | St. Alban's lot under its regular schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 10 | Saturday | Fall Fest, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Open; shuttle also runs from 140 Blaine St. |
| Nov. 7 | Saturday | Mistletoe Market | Open |
| Nov. 12 | Thursday | Light The Night & Tree Lighting | Open |
| Nov. 19 | Thursday | Bikes, Trikes & Magical Lights | Open |
| Nov. 28 | Saturday | Shop Small Saturday, all day | Open |
| Dec. 3 | Thursday | 73rd Annual Christmas Parade, 6:30 p.m. | Open |
| Dec. 10 | Thursday | Christmas concert at the Town Green | Open |
| Dec. 17 | Thursday | Artisan Market on Court Street | Open |
There's one catch. The church can close public parking on other dates with 48 hours' notice, and the holiday season is busy for churches too. "Open" in the table means open under the regular lease terms, not guaranteed for any particular night.
Put it together and the season looks like this. Starting in mid-October, one familiar city lot near Spring and Wayne is closed for construction for an unknown stretch. During that time, the free lot on N. Broad across from City Hall fits the event schedule well, and the Troy Theatre corner adds a few accessible spaces in the middle of the block. If you've parked near Spring Street for past parades and tree lightings, the church lot is the closest new option to plan around.
The holiday page doesn't list parking, shuttles, routes or street closures for any of the November and December events. Downtown Monroe tells visitors to follow its Facebook and Instagram accounts for details on each evening. Before the Christmas parade in particular, check those accounts for shuttle or closure updates.
Before You Head Downtown
The city keeps a downtown parking map that marks on-street parking and spaces open after 5 p.m. It's worth bookmarking, especially once the Spring and Wayne lot closes. Here's a short checklist for each outing this season:
- Fall Fest, October 10: take the free shuttle from the Monroe Police Department at 140 Blaine Street.
- Any Thursday or Saturday event after mid-October: plan on the St. Alban's lot at 210 N. Broad Street, and check Downtown Monroe's social accounts in case the church has given notice.
- Sunday brunch or Wednesday dinner downtown: skip the church lot and use the parking map to find another option.
- Need an accessible space near Washington Street: try the new spaces at the Broad and Washington corner, keeping in mind that the old entrance from West Washington Street has been removed.
When the Spring and Wayne lot reopens, it should have about 45 more spaces than before, including charging stations. The city hasn't said whether that will happen before the last holiday event on December 17.
Downtown parking changes like these also reach the homes nearby, since they shape how a short walk to Broad Street works on event nights. If you own a home near downtown Monroe and want to know how the area's latest changes fit into your home's value, Lorraine Krieger is happy to talk it through. Request a free home valuation or local market consultation, and Lori will call you back directly.
