Chief Terry speaks to SGA about new parking garage

Jim Terry, chief of the Marshall University Police Department made an appearance at the Marshall University Student Government Association meeting this week to share an update with student senators about the new campus parking garage, as well as answer students' questions about the project.

The new parking garage is estimated to cost $6.5 million and will be placed beside the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse on Fifth Avenue. Terry said, if everything runs according to plan, the garage would be finished in August and open to the university by the start of next semester.

"The reason we chose this location was because the ground was best," Terry said. "It's close to the Student Center which has a lot of visitors and guests, a lot of students are on this end of campus and we have to replace what we're losing on Third Avenue."

Terry said the garage will be a six-story structure with 411 spaces for parking and a possible expansion of up to almost 900 spaces.

There has been no decision on how much the new parking garage will cost students in order to park. However Terry said there will be an hourly, monthly, and a yearly parking option available that will be comparable to current passes.

The new parking garage will be gated, and instead of a parking pass, students will be given a card to open the garage gate. Students with current surface, and current garage pass holders will not be able to park in the new garage. There will be an employee posted at the garage gate as well.

Terry said the availability of student parking lots in the new garage would be on a first-come, first-serve basis. He said the new garage would have to make up for the employee parking that's being taken away on Third Avenue as well as for some student parking behind the Weisburg building that's going to be occupied while the Biotechnology center is being built.

Zachary Morris can be contacted at Morris243@Marshall.edu.