New $2.4 Million Permeable Parking Lot Opens In South Park

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

SOUTH PARK (KDKA) -- Drivers in South Park have a new place to park.

The permeable parking lot uses pavers that allow stormwater to flow through them into a bed of gravel underneath.

The water will eventually be absorbed into the ground.

The lot will capture 95% of rainfall to prevent flooding in the area.

It's a project that was more than a decade in the making.

"The county was getting a lot of complaints about the terrible condition of this particular area," said Caren Glotfelty, the Executive

Director of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation. "It was all broken up asphalt. The remnants of the old SkyBus foundations were still here. There were big lighting towers that didn't work. It was just a mess and, rightfully so, people were complaining about it."

The project cost almost $2.5 million.

But county leaders say it's an investment that will save money on maintenance and flood damage in the long run.