Valets to solve parking crunch during campus construction

by TALLEY HENNING BROWN

Commuters who use university parking will soon hand over their keys — to a valet. To make way for construction crews working on the north campus renovations and the Collaborative Research Center, the parking lots at the 66th Street gate, the Smith Hall Annex receiving area and along the outside of the 68th Street fence will be vacated by July 4. To compensate for the loss, Plant Operations has employed GGMC Parking to maximize available space in the underground lot below Faculty House and accommodate all those who currently drive to work or reside and keep their cars on campus.
    The Faculty House garage, in the basement of the building at 63rd Street, has 100 parking spots, 84 of which are currently used by the building’s residents. Plant Operations estimates that the garage’s capacity will double to 200 spaces when valets take over. The three lots to be vacated accommodate 83 cars total. “When you add it up, there will be more than enough space for our current parking needs,” says Alex Kogan, associate vice president for physical facilities and housing. There will be three or four valet attendants working the garage during office hours; valets may or may not be necessary over the weekend, when it becomes a tenants-only garage. Drivers will not need to tip valets — gratuities have been included in Rockefeller’s contract with the valet company.
    The lot behind the 66th Street gate, which currently fits 52 cars, must be vacated to allow for the installation of a new electrical switch gear that will feed the CRC. Beginning July 5, construction crews will dig up the lot, erect underground walls to build a vault for the equipment, then rebuild the parking lot on top of it. The process should take about a year, after which the space will open for parking again.
    The 16-car space in the receiving area in front of Smith Annex is in the footprint of the CRC, so when vacated, that lot will be gone permanently. Spots along the campus’s north fence, 15 in all, will be allocated for Turner Construction’s trailers.
    To preserve room for current commuters, Plant Operations will not accept new applications for parking permits until construction is complete. Vendors and guests will no longer be able to park on campus.