Due to upcoming construction of the new fine arts building, APSU will lose the Trahern lot.
On Tuesday, March 31, Chief of Police Michael Kasitz provided information to students at the parking forum about the loss of parking.
Trahern lot includes 185 faculty and staff spaces and 40 Harvill Hall spaces that will be lost. However, handicapped parking will maintain a proper ratio. Henry Street will become two way traffic to access Archwood lot; parking for Harvill Hill will be in the Sevier, Blount and Govs Lane parking lots. Three loading spaces will also be added to the Marks lot closest to Harvill so people can run errands nearby.
Other rezoning includes Robb & Forbes Gravel, which will have 48 commuter spaces, and the Church of Christ property lot, which will have 42 faculty and staff spaces. APSU is set to acquire the Jenkins and Wynne car lot, which would be designated for additional parking.
Senior communications major Abbi Wilt said a fine arts building is not the school’s primary need.
“I think communications and music should be separated into separate buildings, especially since music is one of the most prominent programs we have,” Wilt said. “Also, I think it’s going to very negatively affect our parking, because we already have issues with this.”
Junior communication major Lennox Daniels said the lot should remain for parking.
“Everybody gets hurt in this scenario,” Kasitz said. “The employees are getting displaced, students are getting displaced, and housing students are getting moved farther away from their residence,” said Kasitz. “There is no good way to deal with it this year. As we go forward, we can have a plan for when this occurs again. Hopefully, we’ll have better services in place by that time to where we can better service students, faculty and staff, such as maybe having enhanced transportation or a different way to zone parking to make things good for everyone.”
Kasitz provided two parking alternatives with the Eighth Street lot, which has 184 spaces and the Ninth Street lot, which has 204 spaces. TAS
