OU Parking and Transportation Services announced Friday a new $25 million parking garage will be built at the intersection of College Avenue and Cruce Street.
OU plans to build new parking garage for Norman campus
The five-level parking garage will be west of Burton Hall and Goddard Health Center, and is expected to have over 650 parking spaces, according to an email from Parking and Transportation Services.
The email states construction is expected to begin next year, but that it is still early in the design process.
“Because the project is still in the early design process, final timelines and facility renderings are not yet available,” the email reads.
Sophia Flatt, a business major and student living behind the future construction site, said the garage would save a lot of time.
“The new parking garage is going to be great because last year and last semester we struggled to find parking every single day, even if it was in the middle of the day or even at nighttime, there was nowhere to park,” Flatt said.
Alexaviar Thompson, a meteorology major, said the parking garage would be beneficial but the university should continue efforts to increase parking spaces.
“I think OU finally starting to increase their parking is a really good thing. I know specifically from what I’ve been told from (my) friends, it’s really hard to find parking here,” Thompson said. “Even though there’s a new parking garage coming, OU still needs to maintain efforts to create parking spaces for more students.”
Tiffany Vrska, Norman chief communications officer, said the university had no communication with the city regarding the garage.
“... We are learning about the announcement at the same time as everyone else. The university hadn’t been in communication with the City about this project but we believe additional parking in this area will be a benefit,” Vrska wrote. “... The city is always willing to partner for support as needed.”
During the OU Board of Regents’ June meeting, the board approved $420 million in unspecified project bonds. In a follow-up email to OU Daily, OU Chief Financial Officer Stewart Berkinshaw wrote the cost breaks down into four parts:
• Phase two of OU’s First-Year Housing Master Plan as it relates to the replacement of Walker Center: $235 million
• Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial stadium project: $150 million
• New parking: $25 million
• And capital reserve for the projects: $10 million
The email from Parking and Transportation Services states the garage is part of a larger plan for parking improvements. According to Berkinshaw, the university is still finalizing recommendations for parking to be presented at a future regents’ meeting.
This story was edited by Audrey McClour.
