Business falls off at Patrick Cannons parking firm

Months after former Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested on corruption charges, the parking company he founded in Charlotte has lost about a third of the public lots it managed.

E-Z Parking ran 16 public lots in March, when Cannon was arrested, according to information on the companys website and an Observer review. That number has fallen to 11 as of July not including lots solely operated on Carolina Panthers game days.

Two contracts the company lost were for uptown parking decks with thousands of spaces. The primary contractor on those decks cited Cannons arrest in its decision to end its subcontracting arrangement with E-Z Parking.

Cannons company also lost the contract for three surface lots on Morehead Street.

The former mayor has resigned his position at E-Z Parking, co-founder and president Jeff Feemster said. Cannon remains a partial owner of the firm, state records indicate.

Last fall, Cannons business managed 25,000 spaces in Charlotte. The company now operates about 15,000, E-Z Parking general manager Jay Ferguson said.

In any time period youre going to gain business and lose business, Ferguson said. Weve proven that we have the tools to manage through those industry cycles.

Business could erode further in the coming months. At least one major uptown parking contract, for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority lot on Caldwell Street, is being reviewed. The CRVA says the negotiations are not tied to the allegations against Cannon.

Carolinas HealthCare System, E-Z Parkings largest client, is also reviewing its parking deal. Spokesman Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday the review is part of the hospital systems normal process of reviewing long-term contracts. That contract involves about 12,000 spaces. The organization decided in January to re-bid the contract and is putting together a request for proposals.

E-Z Parkings lost contracts are part of the fallout from the nearly four-year federal investigation that led to Cannons arrest and a guilty plea on a federal corruption charge. The former mayor acknowledged accepting bribes in exchange for the promise of political influence. Cannon is awaiting a sentencing hearing later this year that could send him to prison for five years or more.

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Business falls off at Patrick Cannons parking firm