Mississippi State University is getting a new parking garage and it will cost the university approximately $9M to build.
Jeremiah Dumas, Director of Parking and Transit Services for Mississippi State University said their goal is to be under construction before the end of the fall semester and that they hope to have students occupying the garage early in 2020.
With parking difficult for students on campus, the additional 500 spots will be a welcome addition to the north side of campus which will be on Bailey Howell Drive, just east of Howell Hall, however, the final zoning of the garage has not yet been determined.
“Over the last few years, we have thoroughly evaluated our parking supply and demand,” said Dumas. “Through those studies, we have determined the need for additional parking spaces. Simultaneously, we have been evaluating our challenges with traffic. This project was planned and is being designed to not only add additional parking spaces but do so in a manner that will help us shift traffic patterns from congested parts of campus to areas of campus with infrastructure that can handle increased volumes.”
Dumas added that Parking and Transit Services will be covering the cost of the garage, but students may not be appreciative of the way they are paying for the garage as it has resulted in a permit increase.
“The permit increase is part of the solution covering the cost of the new garage, a new surface parking lot on the south side of campus, and increased operational and maintenance cost,” Dumas said.
Once the garage is finished, Dumas said it will be used for game day parking.
