Campus growth leads to parking changes

Responding to the completion of the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation, the 2013 expansion of the Odette School of Business and introduction of the Innovation Centre, and the planned opening of a Welcome Centre in 2014, the University’s new parking structure will open mid-2013. This will result in a substantial shift in the parking needs of students, staff and faculty.

“With the new construction, we are moving more people to the Wyandotte corridor of the campus,” notes Sandra Aversa, vice-president planning and administration. “The proposed closure of Sunset Avenue between Wyandotte and Fanchette streets and the opening next summer of the parking structure will allow us to create more green space on campus.”

As part of the Campus Transformation Plan, the following lots are slated to close:

  • Lot D on the northwest corner of Sunset and Wyandotte
  • Lot T on the west side of Sunset south of the Music Building
  • Lot K on the west side of Sunset between Wyandotte and Fanchette
  • Lot L on the east side of Sunset between Wyandotte and Fanchette
  • Lot W on the east side of Sunset between Wyandotte Fanchette (except for spaces adjacent to the Medical Education Building)
  • Lot O, the Maintenance Building parking lot south of Union Street

Under a transition plan developed by the Parking Operations Sub-committee, which includes both faculty and staff representation from areas across campus, all employees will be asked to rank their parking lot preferences. Everyone having an existing employee parking pass—and anyone hoping to purchase one—must respond.

“Because we are closing six parking lots, including the temporary lot on the old Cody site, and launching the new parking structure, the sub-committee needed to start over and make parking assignments from scratch,” explains Anna Kirby, executive director of Campus Services. “The re-allocation of parking spaces will be based on University seniority and lot preference.”

This is part of the sub-committee’s review of the parking system as was envisioned when the Integrated Parking and Innovation Centre received authorization to move forward. The sub-committee, an advisory committee to the Parking/Innovation Steering Committee, has also recommended the renaming of the parking lots to a geographical description to assist in way finding on campus.

Faculty and staff will be requested to rank their parking preferences during the month of January. Parking assignments will be announced in early 2013.

Aversa stresses that every consideration will be given to meeting lot requests, but spaces are limited and respondents may not receive their top choice.

“We ask people to rank each of the lots so that if their number one spot is filled we can try to grant them their next best choices,” she says.

parking map

This map shows the affected parking lots, greyed out  to signify their return to green space and other uses.