New parking garage, free bus rides in the works for this fall
Janel Shoun |
The $7.2 million project is expected to begin construction in March and to be complete in September.
Last week, the Nashville Metropolitan Planning Commissions approved a change to Lipscomb’s master plan (concerning the design of the bus stop) to clear the way for the university to get building permits. There are still some approvals needed from the Federal Transportation Administration, which has provided a $3.172 million-grant for what the federal government calls an intermodal facility, because it serves two modes of transportation: cars and buses.
The facility will be built where the university tennis courts are now located, at the corner of Granny White Pike and Shackleford. (For a campus map click here.) Four tennis courts will be rebuilt on top of the garage, which will be built into the side of the hill. The tennis courts will have lighting and new seating.
The 150,000-square-foot garage will have 300 spaces. To compare, Lipscomb’s existing garage on the opposite side of Allen Arena has about 470 spots, counting the roof.
The new garage will be accessible from Belmont Boulevard, and will have a brick exterior so that it matches the style of the other campus buildings. The design includes an elevator and stairwell access at both ends.
The parking garage project also includes construction of a temperature-controlled bus shelter and bus turn-around located by the softball field near the garage. This is the first on-campus bus stop, although there are bus stops on the edge of the campus on Granny White Pike and Belmont Boulevard.
Lipscomb is currently working with the Metropolitan Transit Authority to join the Easy Ride program, allowing students, faculty and staff (anyone with a Lipscomb I.D.) to ride the bus for free, using their campus I.D. card, once the new bus stop is complete.
Providing this service to students and employees will enhance Lipscomb’s efforts to be a sustainable campus, by encouraging students and staff to use mass transit instead of driving to campus, said Janel Shoun, spokesperson for the university.
“With recent growth in Lipscomb’s enrollment and academic programs, such as a new pharmacy college and several night-time master’s courses, one of the strongest needs on the Lipscomb campus is a new parking facility, especially this year when construction projects, such as our new residence halls and the revamp of the Burton Building, have necessitated the temporary loss of some parking spaces,” she said.
“We have been serving students and faculty by running a shuttle to the David Lipscomb Campus School football field at Caldwell and Leland Lane and to nearby apartment complexes for students, but the situation has highlighted our need for more parking. With more and more community groups coming on campus to use Lipscomb’s facilities, such as the Ezell Conference Center and Allen Arena, this new garage will be a benefit not only to students and faculty but to the community at-large.”
When construction begins in March, the new garage will join other recent construction projects included in the Lipscomb 2010 initiative:
- Renovation of the A.M. Burton Building for the College of Pharmacy
- Renovation of the downstairs in the Bennett Campus Center, and addition of an outdoor amphitheater, and
- Construction of four residence halls behind Elam Hall.