Jennifer Jackson
Staff Writer
The building of a multi-leveled multi-million dollar parking structure was recently bumped to the top of the list for the Campus Master Plan.
Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2015.
“This opens the ability for the Campus Plan to be approved by the city,” said Erin Gratz, president of the faculty senate, Web and instructional technology librarian and associate professor.
The city of La Verne is requiring the University to increase parking capacity before it approves the rest of the Master Plan, which also calls for the construction of an academic building and dorm.
The Board of Trustees and the Board’s Finance Committee approved the construction of the structure in October.
The new structure is expected to be five or six stories tall and will add 500 to 600 spaces to alleviate the parking problem.
It will be in the place of Parking Lot D, located behind the Campus Center and next to Vista La Verne dormitory.
Some faculty members are opposed to the construction, claiming that it is not as necessary as other pressing issues.
“Our solution is very superficial, putting up a parking structure will delay the academic building for seven years,” Jay Jones, professor of biology and biochemistry, said.
“The laboratories have been delayed year after year after year.”
There is currently a request for proposal – a document that allows architects and construction companies to contact the University to vie for the project – available online.
“The parking committee and those actively involved with the process will help select a vendor who we would work with to design the parking garage,” said Chip West, assistant vice president of capital planning, facilities and space management.
“Currently in the RFP there are 1,000 spaces meaning the garage plus adjacent spaces would equal 1,000 spaces. It is a net gain of 500-600 spaces in Lot D.”
West said the structure is anticipated to open by the start of fall semester of 2016.
University officials hope is to choose an architect by January.
With the expense of the parking structure estimated to be between $12 million and $16 million, according to Chief Financial Officer Avo Kechichian, permit rates are expected to increase to defray some of the construction costs.
“They will go up, but we have not determined the amount yet,” Clive Houston-Brown, vice president of facilities and technology, said. “There are two pieces to it, an increase of some kind and parking permits will become mandatory for all students, faculty and staff who come to the main campus.”
Houston-Brown said the campus parking committee composed of faculty, staff and students is in the process of forming a subcommittee that will include current ASULV president David Asbra and a student from the Residence Hall Association to help the process move forward.
“Our mission is supposed to be education and service and we have almost become a hotel,” Jones said. “Now it’s all about recruiting students and growth, and education is kind of an after thought.”
The University has also wanted to incorporate and utilize solar energy on campus for many years. They are currently planning to put solar panels on the roof of the parking structure.
“We have been working on solar panels for about five years now, trying to find a location to make it work,” West said.
“One of the things in the RFP is having us look at the feasibility of adding solar panels on top so it’s covered parking.”
“Solar has been a big part of something we have tried to do a couple times we have just never had the resources to be able to do it; every time we get proposals either the economy changes or technology changes,” West said.
Jennifer Jackson can be reached at jennifer.jackson2@laverne.edu.
