ORLANDO, Fla. — Park DTO, a program that ran during the pandemic, was recommended to return by the Downtown Development Board Wednesday afternoon.

It offered free two-hour parking, street parking and valet in certain locations. 

It could mean a lot for businesses like The Kitty Beautiful, a cat cafe that relies on customers to find cats their forever homes.

“First thing we do when people come in is we show them what we call our ‘Tin-purr Board,’” said Jac LeDoux, the feline relations manager at The Kitty Beautiful.

But safety issues in the area aren’t exactly the cat’s meow.

City District Downtown survey results from last month found safety and homelessness were the top two concerns for business owners, residents and visitors.

“We’ve had people — I’m just gonna say it — people peeing on our front,” said LeDoux. “We had a family walk out with little kids and he was verbally abusive. It impacts.”

People like LeDoux hope Park DTO returns to help drum up business. The program offers free two-hour street parking and valet at certain locations.

“I definitely think that would have a big, big impact on more people coming down here,” said LeDoux.

The program was in place from May 2020 to June 2021. 

The Kitty Beautiful didn’t see a big boost because parking garages like the one on Jefferson Avenue weren’t included, but on the whole, LeDoux says it will be good for Orlando.

“Will it make all the difference? I don’t know,” she said. “But it will definitely help.”

And if it helps one of these kitties out, even better.

“More people in means more adoptions,” LeDoux said. “And more adoptions means more kitties off the street.”

Park DTO would be funded by the Downtown Development Board. It would have a budget of $100,000.

If approved, it’s expected to start late May and run through December 2023.