Life science building construction leads to parking lot closure
Ninety Utah State University professors are no longer allowed to park in their previously designated spots on campus because of construction that began on April 1.
The parking lot behind the Merrill-Cazier Library is currently reserved for long-term professors with yellow permits. Due to the construction of a new life science building near the lot, it will be closed for the rest of the semester and through the summer.
USU’s Parking and Transportation Services directors are relocating the permit-holders in the yellow lot to green and orange parking lots, which are farther away from campus.
“We have no other options when they take a parking lot for construction,” said James Nye, the director of USU’s Parking and Transportation Services.
Parking operations manager Craig Wright said he is concerned about the reaction from permit- holders who already payed for stalls in the green lots.
“This will not be a popular thing for our green permit holders,” Wright said.
In addition to parking farther away, the yellow permit holders must pay a $2.10-per-month fee to upgrade their permits. Wright is confident this will not be an issue with the permit-holders.
“The faculty and staff here are amazing,” Wright said. “I don’t think they will be upset about paying the small fee.”
In the future, Wright and Nye hope to reduce the issue by building parking garages close to the core campus. They estimate the project will cost about $3 million and will take at least four years to complete.
“We will get more parking stalls but they come at a huge cost,” Nye said. “Anywhere we go we will have to build up — it’s just a matter of choosing where and when.”
@HowardShanie
Photo by Megan Albrechtsen
This is exciting news, can we expect to see any of the planned interior some time soon?