You may need to start carrying extra change if you're thinking about parking in the downtown area.

Today, Gainesville City Commissioners moved forward with a proposal to convert 77 free on-street parking spaces to paid parking.

There is a projected revenue of more than $490 thousand a year if the recommendations are adopted.

But staff and commissioners say the additional revenue is not the primary reason behind eliminating free downtown parking.

Commissioners said that paid parking will create greater turnover and free up parking spots that are typically held up for extended periods of time.

The proposal got the greenlight in the Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Public Works committee meeting. The next step is for the proposal to be discussed at an upcoming city commission meeting.