The upcoming Board of Trustees meeting may begin proposed formal adoption of Phase 1 of the new parking decks on March 2. 

Michael Bruder, the executive director of Facilities, Planning and Operations, said Phase 1 will include the discussion of new parking decks for on campus.

Construction of new parking decks has been discussed for 20 years, and the increased student population through the years is what finally led to the proposal of parking decks. They are intended “to provide a beautiful and walkable campus” that includes more green to be brought into campus with more nature.

“We want to make the campus a more enjoyable place to live, work and study,” Bruder said. “This will help with our wellness and encouraging more people to walk and look around.”

Bruder is looking at the proposed parking decks to go in the north, south, and west regions of campus. If the Master Plan gets approved, the first deck that will be built is the north deck and will be located on Main Street near Moulton and White Halls, Bruder said. It is is expected to fit about 900 cars.   

Bruder said he expects the cost of the parking decks to be about $20-25 million. The most important garage is the north parking deck, said Bruder. This is because of the expected increase in students due to the proposed new College of Business Administration Building that is to coincide with the parking deck.

The university consulted in the an architecture and engineering firm, SmithGroupJRR. The firm has a good reputation and have been used by other universities when discussing master plans, said Bruder.

Emily Glatt is the parking and transportation reporter. Contact her at [email protected].