Optimist Hall will charge for parking starting Aug. 15

What’s happening: Parking remains free for the first hour and a half at the popular food hall just north of Uptown. After that, a visit will cost you $5 for an hour and a half to three hours and $18 for anything over three hours.

What they’re saying: “In an effort to provide convenient and efficient parking to our visitors, we are partnering with Laz Parking to transition to a paid parking program beginning on Monday, August 15th,” Optimist Hall posted on Instagram Tuesday, Aug. 9.

• Optimist Hall representatives declined to comment further and turned off the comments section on the post.

Why it matters: Free parking was one of Optimist Hall’s many perks when it opened in 2019. The old mill quickly became a Charlotte favorite — offering a success story of what could be when Charlotte restored what it had, rather than tearing it down.

• But now, just like nearly everything else in the city, prices are going up.

Zoom out: This is the second notable parking change in Charlotte this year. The city raised street parking from $1 per hour to $1.50 in Uptown and South End. Plus you now have to pay for street parking on Saturdays.

Go deeper: Everything you need to know about Optimist Hall