Parking on campus seems to be a never-ending struggle, and with the construction of the new health science parking garage, the battle will continue.
Scheduled to be completed by next year, the garage will create 916 stalls but will displace several students, faculty and staff. Construction is scheduled to begin on Oct. 14.
David Moyes, assistant director over construction, said it will mostly affect students living in the Medical Towers and in Shoreline Ridge as well as some medical faculty.
While students living on campus received an email from Housing and Residential Education (HRE), staff members like Linn Steele, administrative assistant in the molecular medicine program, had no idea about the project.
However, Steele said parking has always been a problem at the U, so the additional parking from a garage might be worth the temporary inconvenience.
“We joke around at the office that we don’t have parking permits — we actually have a hunting license,” Steele said. “You are lucky to get a spot.”
Moyes said this structure has been necessary for several years because of recent construction projects being built on existing parking lots.
“We have people that we are bussing in everyday from Guardsman parking lot and other places because there is not enough parking to support everything that goes on at the medical center,” he said.
As construction begins for the new school of medicine in the upcoming months, there will be even more pressure on limited parking.
“This parking garage will be … critical to the success of the medical center,” Moyes said.
The garage will have some spots reserved for residents, and the rest will be filled by medical staff members.
Rick Johansen, construction project manager of facilities management, is working with the hospital to find a place for patients who are affected, because the new garage will impact RV parking for medical patients.
Johansen said “it can be an inconvenience,” but that they are doing all they can to find temporary spots for those affected.
HRE residents will be directed from lots 72 and 73 to zone 1 parking in lots 67, 74 and 82. Metered parking will be available for guests in lot 79, 82 and 73.
The garage will be similar to the new parking garage by the business building, but without the field on top, Moyes said. The project will cost about $13.6 million, provided by Commuter Services.
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