From Parking friction to 5-Star First Impressions: Urban Innovations’ small shift for a big tenant experience win

You’ve likely upgraded many building touchpoints—smarter access, digital check-ins, app alerts. But have you thought about where the tenant experience really begins?—it’s the parking garage.

Too often, parking is an underperforming asset that feels more like an operational headache than a valued amenity. For property managers who self-manage, it means juggling permits and handling tenant frustration. Even those who outsource parking may be missing revenue opportunities while still facing tenant friction. Either way, the effort and cost rarely match the value parking should deliver.

That’s why forward-thinking firms like Urban Innovations are thinking very carefully about every tenant touchpoint—including parking—and quietly transforming it into a powerful differentiator.

They understand that a truly exceptional building experience and optimized performance means sweating all the details, especially those that can make or break a tenant's day before they even reach the lobby – turning potential complaints into reasons for applause.

More than offices: Experiences that resonate

For over 40 years, Urban Innovations has been redefining workplace experiences in Chicago’s River North. Their newest development, 311 W Huron, is no exception—a 15-story, ground-up project designed to attract modern tenants with standout features and elevated amenities.

One of those amenities? Parking.It’s often overlooked—but not by Urban Innovations.

From the start, we knew that thoughtful, elevated amenities would set 311 W Huron apart—and that meant designing parking to meet the same high standard.

Joi Harrell, Head of Property Management, Urban Innovations.

Instead of treating the garage as an afterthought, Urban Innovations saw it as an opportunity for a quiet but strategic win—a small detail with a ripple of impact on tenant experience and building performance.

Parking designed as a premium amenity (Not an operational burden)

High-value tenants expect a seamless experience from the moment they arrive. And nothing breaks that illusion faster than a frustrating parking experience—overcrowded lots, unclear access, or clunky payment processes and systems.

Urban Innovations knew parking had to meet the same high bar as every other touchpoint in the building. Joi had seen the old-school ways: manual permits, daily space shortages, frustrated tenants, and endless admin.

Relying on uncontrolled garage remotes or hiring a full-time parking attendant would have added complexity and cost, but that model is inefficient, rigid, and wasn’t going to cut it at 311 W Huron.

They needed a modern solution that delivered:

• Self-management – A quiet operational win with no full-time staff required
• Tech-driven convenience – No remotes, no calls, no confusion
• Tenant autonomy – Flexible control over their own parking spaces
• Revenue generation – Unlocking value from underutilized spots

By approaching parking as a core tenant amenity—not just a utility—Urban Innovations positioned 311 W Huron as a building where every detail works harder to attract and retain top-tier tenants.

The fix: Parking that runs itself and puts tenants in control

Urban Innovations chose Parkable to transform parking into a strategic amenity, quietly streamlining a complex task.The system features touchless LPR entry, RFID as a backup, and a tenant self-service portal.

“Parkable gives our tenants real autonomy—managing parking as needed without going through us. That self-service is what modern tenants expect," says Joi. "With Parkable, tenants reserve parking in advance and know where they’ll be parking before they arrive

Additional Parkable benefits include a property management web portal, no staffing overhead (a significant quiet operational win), and a well-supported rollout. “Parkable made it efficient and easy, coordinating with our vendors, which took a huge burden off our team,” Joi confirms."Parking is one of our most important amenities—and Parkable makes it work," Joi emphasizes. "It’s one of the first experiences someone has with the building”.

The impact: Parking as a leasing tool and reputation builder

And then came the ripple effects—quiet wins that added up fast.

First, parking became a powerful leasing tool. When prospective tenants toured 311 W Huron, parking wasn’t a question mark—it was a clear selling point. Leasing accelerated, giving brokers a real advantage.

Second, once tenants moved in, they loved the control Parkable gave them. They could allocate spots to senior team members, share spaces among hybrid workers, and make visitors feel like VIPs—very important parkers.

Third, even during lease-up, Urban Innovations started generating monthly revenue by listing vacant bays as daily parking options for tenant employees, unlocking hidden value from underused spots.

And finally, the building earned a reputation beyond its design—because every detail, including parking, felt thoughtfully considered. It became the talk of the neighborhood for all the right reasons.

“There were a few moving parts, but Parkable made it efficient and easy. They coordinated directly with our security vendor and Brivo, which took a huge burden off our team.”

— Joi Harrell

Final thought

Small shifts in managing overlooked details can drive surprising results. Urban Innovations turned an expected friction point into an attraction and retention tool—delivering revenue, elevating experience, and reinforcing their commitment to thoughtful design - without the painful admin..

A quiet win that delivers loud returns and a ripple effect across tenant satisfaction, building performance, and NOI.