East Lansing looking to offer free parking downtown

The city of East Lansing is making changes to encourage people to frequent its downtown businesses as they start re-opening.

City council plans to start offering free parking.

The East Lansing Mayor Pro Tem,, Aaron Stephens,, said they're also working to create outdoor 'food court zones' that would allow for social distancing.

"That is also in combination with the hope that we can draw people down there by lifting the gates and saying 'we've got free parking in our downtown,' specificaly to bring people back in a safe way," said Stephens.

Stephens' said the free parking downtown will run through the end of June.

The council hopes to get feedback from businesses -- before deciding if they'll extend it into July.