OXFORD, Miss. — Those returning to the University of Mississippi campus this week will find some major differences in the parking situation because of ongoing construction of an 829-spot, five-story parking garage and preparations for the new basketball arena– two major campus improvement projects being built near Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Construction began in December on a new parking garage near the football stadium, with an expected completion date in the fall. Construction on a new multi-purpose arena for UM basketball games, which also includes a food court and academic areas, begins this spring and is expected to be completed in early 2016.
The two major campus improvement projects involve two separate phases, the first of which began in December. The second, which coincides with the beginning of work on the arena, will begin in March.
Phase I
Phase I will result in a total loss of 15 faculty/staff parking spots and 148 commuter parking spots, but the new 829-spot parking garage is expected to be open by this fall.
Students:
- In order to accommodate for construction, the first phase of the parking adjustments has left about 35 parking spots (approximately 20 commuter and 15 faculty/staff) in the west stadium lot fenced off.
- The Hill Drive entrance of the parking lot is now blocked, but remains accessible from All-American Drive.
- Additionally, the two lots on the east side of Hill Drive are fully closed, blocking off 98 commuter spots.
- The lot on the west side of Hill Drive has lost about 30 of its 117 commuter spaces during Phase I. The remaining 87 commuter spaces in that lot will be open until March when the second phase of the project begins.
Faculty/staff:
- The first phase of the parking adjustments has left about 35 parking spots (approximately 20 commuter and 15 faculty/staff) in the west stadium lot fenced off and unavailable for parking to accommodate construction.
- The Hill Drive entrance of the parking lot is now blocked, but remains accessible from All-American Drive.
Phase II
Though no official date has been set, the second phase is expected to begin in March. Some changes to the parking situation in the construction zone would be in place until early 2016 when the new arena is expected to be complete. Exact construction timelines depend on variables including weather, which could affect the work.
Students:
- The start of the second phase means all 238 parking spots (about 44 commuter and 194 faculty/staff) in the west stadium lot at Vaught-Hemingway will be closed through the duration of the project. These spots will be lost permanently.
- Part of Hill Drive, including where it runs into All-American Drive just northwest of the stadium, will be closed for the work.
- Once Phase I is complete, two commuter lots near Tad Smith Coliseum containing 164 spots total will be reclassified as faculty/staff lots. Students who wish to park in the affected area should plan accordingly and allot extra time to find a parking space.
Faculty/Staff:
- The start of the second phase means all 238 parking spots (about 44 commuter and 194 faculty/staff) in the west stadium lot at Vaught-Hemingway will be closed through the duration of the project. These spots will be lost permanently.
- Part of Hill Drive, including where it runs into All-American Drive just northwest of the stadium, will be closed for the work.
- The Turner Center faculty/staff lot (67 faculty/staff spots) at the corner of All-American and Hill drives will close.
- Once Phase I is complete, two commuter lots near Tad Smith Coliseum containing 164 spots total will be reclassified as faculty/staff lots. Faculty/staff who wish to park in the affected area should plan accordingly and allot extra time to find a parking space.
More specifics about Phase II will be available from the UM Department of Parking and Transportation at a later date, but a total of 112 faculty/staff and 443 commuter spots are expected to be lost during both phases. Additional parking is available in an under-utilized “open” lot behind the Ole Miss track facility, which contains 275 spots. Anyone can park in this lot.