Mall In New Jersey Offers Pay-To-Park Program For Premium Spots

FREEHOLD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- It can be a real challenge to find a parking spot at a mall on a busy weekend, but now a mall in New Jersey is offering some prime spots at a price.

To avoid the trouble of driving up and down to find a parking spot, the Freehold Raceway Mall says it'll save you one if you aren't afraid to pay up. On Saturday and Sunday morning, a parking attendant will place signs in the lanes that block off a total of 60 spots that are right in front of the mall's front door.

The mall will charge $5 to park in one of the premium spots tucked between Macy's and Nordstrom. They say there are around 6,000 other spots at he mall property where guests can always park free of charge.

"We're not asking everyone to park and pay for parking," the mall's Senior Marketing Manager Debra Panzarella said. "That's not the whole idea. The whole idea is to give those that want that convenience the opportunity to utilize it."

The mall has offered pay-to-park services before. During the holidays, they charge $15 to valet and say the service is heavily used. While the weekend parking plan just started last week, the mall says it's been embraced by tenants despite competition with online retailers to make sales.

To help shoppers embrace the program, some retailers in the mall offer coupons that pay for an upfront spot. The mall management company says they've implemented parking for purchase at other properties, including the Danbury Fair Mall in Connecticut.

Handicap spots are exempt from the payment program.