CSULB
parking structure still in design stage
Samantha
Britland
On-line Forty-Niner
The
recent budget cuts have not affected plans
for the new parking structure, according
to Tom Bass, senior director of Parking
and Transportation Services. The new structure
is self-funded and will be paid for by the
students over time. The structure is proceeding
as planned, and is on schedule.
Bass
said that the structure is in the planning
and design process, which can take time.
"We
are in the design phase, the first phase
of construction" and "We're right
on target. People expect the parking lot
[to be] dug up already," Bass said.
Construction
is expected to start after the designs are
completed and reviewed. Groundbreaking is
estimated to occur during the fall semester
of 2004, Bass said. The blueprints have
already been roughly drawn up, said Armando
Contreras, executive assistant to President
Maxson. The project is expected to take
more than 18 months to complete.
The
project consists of two parking structures,
built side-by-side located in Lot 11 off
Palo Verde Avenue. Each structure will be
built independently, but act as one unit
when complete. Construction will temporarily
impact 900 to 1200 parking spaces in order
to accommodate the first floor of the structures.
During this time, Parking and Transportation
Services will shuttle students to off-campus
parking locations where they can park for
free the entire semester. Additional parking
strategies are still in the planning stages,
said Bass. Bass expects to have the first
structure open while the second is still
under construction to alleviate parking
off-campus.
The
new parking structure will bring much needed
relief to congested parking lots. Bass expects
the project to create approximately 1,500
additional student parking spaces.
"We estimate our need is about 1,000
spaces, so yes it addresses parking problems",
Bass said.
In
addition to the new parking structures,
plans are underway to change the entrance
to the parking lot, with the addition of
a traffic light. There has been a history
of traffic problems and heavy congestion
going in and out of the lot, Bass said.
Parking
fees will be increased as much as $30 a
semester to pay for the two new structures,
Contreras said. Fee hikes will not be in
effect until after the first structure is
complete. Bass said that Maxson wants students
to see what they will be paying for.
Contreras
said that talk of delays in construction
might have been heard and misunderstood
because a recreation and fitness center
had been discussed along with the parking
structure. The center was delayed indefenitely
and he said that some might infer that the
structure had also been postponed.
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