The property the Ohio University Foundation purchased on West Union Street for $400,000 in 2015 will become a parking lot.
Demolition began on West Union Street last week, OU Spokesman Dan Pittman said.
“The end result of the project will be a new, 36-car parking lot on the site; we expect that the lot will be available for use in late December,” Pittman said in an email.
On March 10, 2015, the Ohio University Foundation bought 207 and 209 W. Union St. and 28, 29 1/2, 30 and 32 Moore St. for a total of $400,000. When the property was first purchased, the foundation did not have concrete plans for the site.
The foundation is the university’s nonprofit, fundraising entity and is not comprised of student dollars, according to its website.
The property formerly housed Bws Happy Cat Drive Thru and a car wash in the same building. When the property was purchased, neither of the companies were operating.
Lauren Begley, an OU alumna who lives on Union Street, said the construction is loud, but it does not really bother her.
“We definitely need more parking, maybe a parking garage,” Begley, who graduated in the spring and studied history, said.
She said she first started noticing the construction earlier in the week.
Rachel Allegra, a sophomore studying integrated media, also lives on Union Street and said she first noticed the construction Monday. She said though a parking lot on Union Street would be useful and practical, she hoped something else would go in that space.
“It would be nice to have a store or a carryout food (restaurant at that location),” Allegra said.
