Construction Projects to Alter Parking

Photo by Aaron Arenas.

By Student Media Copy Editor Jacqueline Schafer

The new Rappahannock River Parking Deck is scheduled to open for the fall 2009 semester. The deck is being built on what used to be Lot F and portions of Lot G. According to Parking and Transportation, the new deck will have 2,650 spaces totaling more than Mason Pond Parking Deck and Sandy Creek Parking Deck combined.

The deck was originally planned to open with 1,650 spaces with an addition of 1,000 spaces several years in the future, but according to the Director of Parking and Transportation, Josh Cantor, they were able to complete the deck now, saving approximately $3 million and only extending the project by a few months. “If we had done it in two phases, we would have had to spend more to finish the sides now which would have to be changed later,” said Cantor.

The five levels of the deck will each serve a different part of the George Mason University community. Half of level one will have visitor parking. The remainder of level one and all of level two will be available for faculty and general lot permits. Level three will be reserved for faculty deck permits and levels four and five will be for student deck permits.

Senior English major Claire Zuskin said, “It’s great to have levels available for different purposes. Especially having some general permit space . . . right now there isn’t really any parking near that side of campus for general permits.”

Parking and Transportation sent out an e-mail announcing a lottery for students who want to purchase a permit for levels four and five. Students who want to buy a deck pass should enter the lottery by following the link in the Parking and Transportation e-mail. Those who are eligible to buy a deck permit through the lottery will then be notified by e-mail.

As part of the project the new stretch of University Drive will be finished. The rebuild of Rappahannock Lane and Patriot Circle will also be complete.

Other projects on campus include the construction of the new residential buildings Eastern Shore and Hampton Roads which is expected to add approximately 600 beds and the Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel. According to The Mason Gazette parking spaces will potentially be consumed by the residential projects but according to Cantor, the new parking deck should accommodate for that loss of space.

The Mason Inn is not expected to take away any more parking than what is already gone due to construction. According to Press Secretary Dan Walsch, the Mason Inn will have 200 of its own parking spaces built as part of the project. “It is possible, however, that there will be times when additional parking spaces are needed due to larger conferences,” said Walsch, “If that happens, then these demands will be handled the way it is today—visitors have to pay for what is made available to them.”