Fletcher Demolition, Library Construction Displace Parking

Author: Andrea Gissing

Approximately 90 student and 115 faculty/staff parking spaces have been taken out of use as a result of the construction underway at Fletcher Field House and at the site of the new library. While the 36 student and 66 the faculty/staff spots at Fletcher will be available again with the completion of the "bubble" at the end of the summer, the parking at Old Storrs Avenue, what is currently the G Lot, and the parking at the Old Science Center Lot will not be made available again.

In a campus-wide bulletin sent out last Thursday, Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Public Safety Lisa Boudah outlined the changes in parking that went into effect Sunday night. These included the closure of the parking on Storrs Avenue and the parking by Fletcher Field House and Kenyon Arena.

To replace the spots lost, students will be able to park their cars in the lots to the south or the east of Kenyon area. For faculty and staff, additional parking is available in the Center for the Arts (CFA) parking lot. Overflow parking for faculty, staff and commuter students has been designated in the old tailgate area on Porter Field Road.

While these changes will likely place more strain on the already difficult parking situation on campus, additional parking modifications to be made this summer are pending state Act 250 approval. If approved, these changes will result in the creation of new student spaces. These spots will be located at Ridgeline. In addition, new spaces are planned for faculty, staff and event parking in the E Lot and at the CFA.

These parking areas will likely be constructed this summer and completed by the start of the fall term. These spaces would replace the parking lost by the closure of D Lot by Coffrin, because of the Atwater Commons expansion slated to begin after the Language Schools finish. The D Lot will go offline before school starts in September.

"The planned construction for this summer will result in 178 spaces for students," said Project Manager of Facilities Planning Mark Gleason. "Although the spaces will be in different locations on campus, there will be a net gain by this fall term."

The construction of the new library and of the new Atwater dorms is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of the 2004 fall term.