The hill cedar falls iowa

In just a few years, we have realized many improvements with the help of the city, including the new pedestrian-friendly streetscape with brick sidewalks, flower and tree plantings, and festive banners. To continue the improvements, we also now have a TIF (Tax Increment Finance) District in the Hill’s commercial area, which gives developers financial incentives, and will soon have in place a RID (Residential Improvement District), which gives residence owners (including landlords) tax breaks on major façade improvements.

The CHP provides support to the Hill’s best cultural traditions like the College Hill Arts Festival in July, the Neighborhood Picnic in August, and the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in December. We’ve also begun new events like the Hill Yes! Auction in April, and festivals in Pettersen Plaza. Other cultural events have also emerged to fit the distinctive culture of the Hill, such as Mohair Pear’s successful Pear Fair D.I.Y Craft and Design Event and their Zombie Walk.

If you have ideas for making College Hill a better place to live, work, and play, let us know. We appreciate your participation and support.

– Andy Fuchtman, CHP President

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The College Hill district is a revitalized and growing destination for dining, nightlife, educational and cultural activities. Adjacent to the University of Northern Iowa, the heart of the area lies on College Street.

Parking: College Hill offers FREE 15 minute, 1 hour, 2-hour parking options for visitors.

Paid Parking Options: To allow for flexible, longer-term parking options for visitors to the area, paid parking is available in two municipal parking lots in the College Hill area. Rates are .50 cents per hour during parking enforcement times.

• Summer Parking Special: These municipal lots are FREE to the community in June and July of each year. 

Parking Enforcement Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The paid parking system features smart parking payment options. Users can pay for parking time at the pay station or download the free mobile app. Learn more, including training videos, at https://smartcity.ipsgroup.com/cedarfalls/.

Park Smarter Mobile App: Download the free Park Smarter app to easily pay for parking and extend your session all from your phone! Just search 'parksmarter' in the Google Play or IOS App Store.

Parking Permits: Parking permits are available in the public lots. Purchase a permit online at https://smartcity.ipsgroup.com/cedarfalls/.

View a map of the College Hill parking area here.

College Hill Parking Study

To help understand how parking can be more effectively utilized in the College Hill area, the City of Cedar Falls teamed with the Hill and the University of Northern Iowa to perform a parking study in March 2019. The study was conducted by WGI and included an online survey, data collection, and stakeholder meetings. A public workshop was held on May 13, 2019; initial findings, observations, and survey results were presented, followed by a Q&A with attendees.

View the parking recommendations from the study here and download the final report. 

Improvements From the Study 

At the conclusion of the College Hill parking study, recommendations were made based on the data collected as well as public and business input. Cedar Falls City Council approved the implantation of these recommendations to allow for more efficient parking options that better fit the needs of the area.

This included converting the 22nd St. W.  Lot to a paid lot and fees and enforcement hours will also be updated in the 22nd St. E-S Lot. Previously a 2-hour parking lot, the 22nd St. W. Lot will now be .50 cents per hour beginning October 1, 2020, and enforcement time will be Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. The 22nd St. E-S Lot will follow this same fee structure.

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