Marshall University is planning to spend more than $876,000 to pave some parking lots this summer, which could make it easier for students to find parking in the fall.
Herb Karlet, vice president of finance at Marshall University, said the university is planning to pave the Weiler Steel lot on Third Avenue and the Drs. Memorial lot, or gravel lot, on Sixth Avenue. There also are some smaller lots on Maple Avenue, right behind Stadium Bookstore, they hope to pave.
While students now park in the gravel lot on Sixth Avenue, by paving the rest of it, students will have more parking available.
"Once we get it paved and painted, more students can park there, plus we can expand both ends of it since we own the property over there now," Karlet said.
The plans currently are underway, and funding is the only thing left to finalize.
"We are looking at a minimum $800,000 to pave and drain the lots on Sixth Avenue and Weiler Steel," Karlet said.
Karlet said the university already has funding for the Weiler Steel lot project, and the hope is students can begin parking there by the beginning of the fall semester.
"I would hope that they would start by early summer and be done by fall," Karlet said. "That's the goal to have them done before the students get back for the fall semester."
The two lots on Maple Avenue most likely will be finished before this semester is over.
"It'll be open as soon as its finished," Jim Terry, director of Public Safety, said. "I'm betting that it'll be open by the 27th. It doesn't do a lot for his year, but next year it will help a great deal."
The Maple Avenue lots will provide students with about 62 additional parking spaces.
"Its going to be surface parking, just a basic surface lot permit will be required to park there," Terry said.
Paving only the lots on Maple Avenue will cost the university about $76,000.
Chris Atkins can be contacted at atkins41@marshall.edu
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