Plans for new parking garage being discussed

By Mike Emery
Staff writer

With increasing enrollment and a growing campus, the University of Houston is seeking to augment its parking options for both the campus community and visitors.

At a recent Staff Council meeting, David Irvin, associate vice president for plant operations, discussed the various possibilities for a prospective parking garage on campus.

Irvin and Robert Browand, UH director of parking and transportation, enlisted the aid of Walker Parking Consultants to conduct a parking study that would determine an effective location for the proposed garage and to provide estimated costs associated with its construction and maintenance.

The parking study conducted by Walker is viewable online at http://www.uh.edu/plantops/docs/parking_study.pdf.

Based on the university’s enrollment projections for 2005, an extra 1,200 to 1,300 spaces would be necessary to accommodate the campus community. Currently, UH is home to more than 35,00 students.

“Over the last 25 to 30 years, the construction of a parking garage was stalled because we added more lots,” Irvin said.

“Unfortunately, we are out of locations to put new lots, and every time we add a new building, we lose parking spots.”

A parking lot is being sacrificed to make room for the new Science and Engineering Research and Classroom Complex.

Irvin added that a variety of options, including adding satellite lots and reconfiguring current spaces, were considered, but a garage was the most feasible solution.

Based on Walker’s recommendations, there are several potential sites for the garage, but two would best satisfy parking needs in a cost-efficient manner.

The first recommended site is Lot 15D West at the corner of Holman and Scott streets. The second is Lot 1A just east of the Hilton University of Houston Hotel.

Either site would contain 1,700 spaces with 48,000 square feet of retail space and would cost $28.6 million to build.

To finance its construction, existing parking rates - which are increased 2 percent per year - will increase by 4 percent per year. The proposed parking rate in the garage would be $350 annually. Visitors could pay hourly or daily rates to use the garage.

“We want to have a structure that we can maintain, fits into the campus aesthetically and is safe,” Irvin said.

Irvin added that the UH System Board of Regents would vote on whether to construct the proposed garage this year. If approved, it would be completed and ready for use by fall.