Over the summer, Campus Facilities completed construction on both the J3 and K parking lots.
Although it may seem like a minor fix, Campus Facilities felt the maintenance was crucial in order to make sure that residents can get to class safely and commuters can find a spot to park that doesn’t put their car at risk of an ever-common Michigan pothole.
The construction will also help all those who utilize the Ryder Center, from students and staff to community members.
J3, a resident parking area, is located off of Collings Drive near the Student Center, and was significantly weathered from the tough Michigan weather. In turn, a repaving of the entire lot was in order for the summer.
Michael Pazdro, senior project manager, was in charge of the parking lot construction. He said the work on K lot, located near Science East and West and parallel to the Ryder Center, has been in the works for a long time.
“For some time, the K lot has been on our books to be repaired,” he said. “K lot was not only repaved, but it was also reconfigured because housing kids walk right through it.”
The K lot project was the most significant to occur. Last year, a designated walking area was installed, but once snow started falling, there were no clear markings.
Student safety was always the top priority in the parking lot construction project, so a new sidewalk was provided in order to prevent students from traveling straight through the busy lot, even in the winter.
“The approximate cost for the parking project was half a million dollars,” Pazdro said.
The parking lot construction and interior renovations on campus have frayed some students’ nerves over the Summer. There has been some pushback in regards to the K lot construction on social media sites such as SVSU IM BOSS. However, Brady Duke, coordinator of Intramural Sports Programs for Campus Recreation, said the construction vastly improved on necessary safety concerns.
“The closure of the south parking lot entry and the addition of the sidewalk addressed the safety concerns, and I believe campus life will benefit from that,” he said. “In the long run, when we as a student body move past the complaining, I only see there being positive effects from the change.”
