Once construction begins on the proposed Par-La-Ville luxury hotel, motorists may feel the crunch in terms of parking in the city.

The retail division of the Chamber of Commerce last week expressed concerns that a lack of available parking spaces in the City may lead shoppers to go elsewhere in search of their goods.

Retail division co-chairman Somers Cooper voiced concern over the loss of the Par-La-Ville car park to the planned luxury hotel for up to two years while the hotel is being built.

He said shoppers do not want to park too far from shops along Reid and Front Streets, nor do they wish to park in restricted time car parks like City Hall or Number One Shed.

There are currently 630 parking spaces in four car parks in Hamilton city centre, 279 of which are in the Par-La-Ville car park.

It's the loss of 279 long-term parking spaces and numerous bike parking spots that has already struggling retailers concerned, Mr. Cooper said.

While the additional level of parking at the Bull's Head Car Park is ideal for workers in the city, shoppers do not want to walk that far, he said: "They want easy access."

The Corporation of Hamilton has taken an opposite position, however.

Corporation secretary Kelly Miller said the loss of the Par-La-Ville car park would not affect shoppers.

She said other car parks in and around the city centre offer almost 1,500 parking spaces.

The Corporation constantly monitors parking in and around the city, she said, and with the additional level of parking at the Bull's Head Car Park there should be adequate parking for both shoppers and workers.

There are parking lots at Number One Shed, Number Five car park (across from Butterfield Bank on Front Street), the Cavendish car park and Number Eight car pack (across from Supermart), all offering two- to three-hour parking times.

Ms Miller pointed out that shoppers can also park along King Street, Court Street and make use of the Union Street car park and E.F. Gordon Square car park and, in this way, support businesses in the east and north end of Hamilton.

Once construction of the new hotel is complete, its plans provide for equal public parking facilities, John Gardner of Cooper & Gardner Architects, and a member of the Par-La-Ville Hotel Company, said.

"That was part of the original agreement with the Corporation of Hamilton," he said.

The spaces will be located underground after the project is completed.

Yesterday, Mr Gardner said he could not guarantee how long construction would take but he said parking will be made available as soon as possible ? possibly even before the inside refurbishing of the building is completed.

But the interim still has retailers worried.

Mr. Somers said he had taken a trip to Bull's Head parking lot to assess the situation, and is convinced parking there will be insufficient to make up for the loss of Par-La-Ville car park ? even temporarily.