Location of Wabash-Harrison Garage(Carew-Netherland Parking Garage) (demolished) (Cincinnati, Ohio)

This parking garage was part of the chain of parking garages operated by "Kent Automatic garages". The Wabash-Harrison Garage was built in connection with the $15,000,000 Carew Tower in Cincinnati, Ohio. This included a combination 650-room hotel and a 750-car Kent garage. Many consider the fully automated 28 story parking garage as the most exciting part of this monumental project.

The driver pulled into a parking service bay, got out and locked the car. Automated platforms then would slide the car onto elevators which carried it to a vacant level and deposited it. When the driver came to get their car, they would sit down in a waiting room as the car was returned via the elevator and automated platform. This revolutionary method ultimately failed because of the many shapes and sizes of the cars coming off the production lines in the ensuing years. Also it was not very reliable and broke down frequently. It was also very time consuming for short-term parkers as opposed to employees of the tower or hotel guests who stayed overnight.

The automated system was eventually dismantled and replaced by humans who rode the elevators and parked the cars. In the 1980s this portion of the Carew complex was demolished during renovations because of the weakened condition of the structural steel supports caused by road salt eating away at them for 50 years.


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