Story by Ciara Benham
Staff writer
cbenham@murraystate.edu
The Curris Center parking lot will expand by 30 to 40 more parking spaces this summer.
Following the confirmation of the Chick-fil-A and Starbucks additions to the Curris Center, expansion and maintenance of the parking lot have also been approved to accommodate renovations and an increase in visitors.
Jason Youngblood, assistant director of facilities design and construction, presented information about the updated parking lot, along with renderings of its design, at the Board of Regents meeting on March 1.
“This is stemming from several things like needing additional parking, but we have a lot of maintenance needs in the parking lot presently,” Youngblood said. “We have options to redo the entrances, maybe [reducing] down to one entrance or modifying the existing entrances.”
Youngblood also said renovations are also necessary to address traffic incidents. According to traffic reports, the crosswalk located between the Curris Center and Gilbert Graves Drive has caused a number of accidents.
“There have been a number of near misses, side swipes and a lot of accidents in that area,” Youngblood said. “Pedestrian crossing is also a problem, so we are proposing to move the crossing to line up with the parking lot entrance.”
The renovations will also include the removal of the islands in the parking lot, and the addition of a row of parking, drop off zones, new lighting and low-maintenance landscaping.
Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services Jackie Dudley provided more information about the details of the project.
“This will be approximately $645,000 to redo that lot and we are requesting approval to have it funded internally,” Dudley said. “I have proposed to the president to fund this with the internal loan that would be paid back through parking and dining funds.”
Dudley also said the additional parking spaces will be reserved for visitors and guests of the Curris Center. The zoning and spaces for recruitment are not intended to change.
Following the BOR meeting, the project was discussed by President Bob Jackson at the Staff Congress meeting on March 13.
“It’s a big deal and a pretty major change so that the public will have access to it without reducing faculty, staff and student parking,” Jackson said.
Jackson also said the main reason for the new parking spots is to allow visitors to use the amenities in the Curris Center that will financially benefit the University.
The construction will begin in the summer, and is set to be completed before the fall semester begins.