The new business loop parking garage is different from most. Instead of a top level of parking, it will have a soccer field.
The field will be managed by the U’s intramural program for student use.
Jeff Letsinger, a freshman in business, is looking forward to the new play-space. He plays soccer with one of the U’s co-ed intramural teams on Fridays and said the new field on top of the parking garage is needed. He said the Fort Douglas recreational field is “slanted” and he doesn’t like having to schedule time to play on the McCarthey Field.
“There is not a lot of recreational space,” Letsinger said. “[An open field] is awesome because we need more places on campus to just go play soccer, toss a Frisbee or throw a football around.”
Shireen Ghorbani, with the U’s Facilities Management, said the business loop space should be completed before commencement in April. For $15.4 million, the business loop garage will feature 800 parking stalls. Despite the increased number of spaces, the total amount of parking spots on campus is less than what the number was several years ago. This includes the number of parking stalls to be added with other construction, including the Northwest Parking Garage, also under construction.
“Even when our new parking garages come online, we are still going to have reduced parking,” Ghorbani said. “We really want people to take alternate modes to campus any time.”
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