Shopping at Cherry Creek is now going to cost you more than ever before (kind of).

People weren't particularly thrilled when Cherry Creek Shopping Center decided to implement a parking fee in 2017. The only semi-saving grace for shoppers was a free first-hour parking policy that kept people moving at rocket speed through the mall to get shopping done.

Two years later, the shopping center is doing away with that one concession, as well. 

As of Jan. 21, there will no longer be free first-hour parking throughout the complex. It instead has restructured its fees to somewhat offset the cost.

The previous fee structure allowed a free first hour, $3 for up to two hours, $4 for up to three hours, and $2 per hour after that. On the 21st, you will now pay $2 for parking up to two hours, and then another $2 for each additional hour, with a maximum fee/lost-ticket fee of $16.

This does actually work out fairly well if you only plan to be at the mall for two hours or less, costing parkers $2 rather than $3, as was previously charged. You will pay more with this fee structure over the last for any time parked over two hours.

Jeramy Burkinshaw, General Manager of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, has related that the fee change is in line with other paid-parking systems and to curb people who are parking there but not using the shopping center. 

We reported in 2017 that paid parking at the mall had taken a toll on businesses in the area, as fewer people came to the mall then headed out to shop area stores. No word on whether eliminating the first free hour will cause another downturn for the area businesses. It could, in theory, as the mall's impetus in eliminating the freebie was to stop non-mall, Cherry Creek shoppers from taking up spaces. 

But, all is not lost. Many, many stores in the shopping center offer parking validation, including the AMC Theater and Elways. You can find a full list of businesses that validate parking on the shopping center's website.