The second phase of campus construction for a new parking garage and basketball stadium began Saturday, March 8. The second phase of construction will mean several changes to parking around and near the construction of both campus facilities.
The five-story parking garage is expected to add 825 parking spots and be completed by fall 2014. The basketball stadium is expected to be completed in early 2016 and will include a food court and academic areas.
The first phase of the construction that began in December closed 163 parking spots around the construction site.
A total of 443 commuter and 112 faculty-staff parking spots are expected to be eliminated during the second phase of construction. When construction is completed, there will be almost 400 more parking spaces on campus than before, according to parking services.
While the work on both of these amenities could be affected and delayed by weather, the phase two parking changes could be in effect until early 2016.
STUDENTS:
One of the commuter parking lots that contains 153 spaces near the current basketball arena is now classified as a faculty-staff parking lot and will reopen as a commuter lot once the parking garage is completed in the fall 2014 semester.
The parking lot west of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is closed to both commuters and faculty-staff.
Hill Drive and its intersection with All-American Drive will be closed until the fall 2014 semester. This road is currently being straightened.
One hundred additional commuter parking spaces around this area are closed and being used to park the construction equipment. These 100 parking spaces will reopen in early 2016.
FACULTY:
A 153-space lot has been reclassified as faculty-staff parking.
The parking lot west of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is closed to both faculty-staff and commuters.
The faculty-staff Turner Center parking lot is closed due to construction on All-American and Hill Drive. A portion of these spots will reopen once construction on Hill Drive is completed.
According to parking services, there are 272 parking spots in the lot behind the Ole Miss track facility. Anyone with a faculty-staff, commuter or residential hangtag is allowed to park there. The Park & Ride express shuttle will now be picking up drivers in the north end of this parking lot.
Anyone with a commuter or faculty-staff hangtag is now allowed to park in the Park & Ride lots (South Lot and Jackson Avenue Center lot).
–Caty Cambron
thedmnews@gmail.com
