With the opening of the new student center, a new parking garage will accommodate students and faculty with temporary and permanent parking options.
Some students, however, say the reserved parking the garage offers is overpriced.
The garage, opened by Ohio University's Transportation and Parking Services, will have two levels of parking spaces with an elevator from the bottom level to get to the student center, said Sherry Barnes, director of Transportation and Parking Services.
The upper level, the adjacent lot 122 now open as a surface lot, will have 97 parking spaces for faculty and dark green permit holders, which can be used from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Any other times the spaces are free.
The lower level will have 220 general parking spaces for $1 an hour managed by a ticket machine. Faculty hourly parking is free and paid by Transportation and Parking Services, Barnes said, adding hourly parking from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. is excluded to avoid cars parked for multiple days.
The garage also has 50 reserved spaces available for students and faculty to purchase. The spaces will be evenly distributed between the two groups through an online lottery drawing at the end of Fall Quarter, Barnes said.
The students and faculty who receive a permit for spaces through the lottery must pay the $1,200 annual price set by Baker University Center management, split at $300 quarterly or $100 monthly, she said.
Reserved monthly parking in downtown Columbus costs $130, $30 more than the rate for the new student center, according to a 2006 study conducted by real estate firm Colliers International. The national average for reserved monthly parking is $181.59.
Barnes acknowledged the price is high, adding that the reserved spaces are the first and only 24-hour parking on campus for faculty. Current student reserved parking on campus is available on a quarterly basis and is $110 under residence halls and $50 for surface lots away from campus.
The garage's central location and addition of parking spaces on campus is a good move, but the rate for the reserved parking is too expensive, said OU junior Elizabeth Ubbing.
There is not enough parking for people who do not have a designated spot somewhere now
Ubbing said.
Junior Ashlee Vetter, who lives off campus, said the permanent spots are more of a necessity than the hourly parking, but not for $300 a quarter.
Every parking spot is ridiculously priced she said.
Barnes said she expects the hourly spots to sell easily because it is a new pay-to-park option for students, residents and visitors.
We now have to turn away a lot of students living in residence halls Barnes said. (The new center) will not have restrictions because it will be open to anyone.
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Natalie Farinacci
