Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_24686" align="alignright" width="640"] The $11.725 million Parking Ramp & Police Building is entirely funded by user fees; no state tax dollars.[/caption] The new home for Police, Parking and Transportation Services now stands tall at the former parking area off La Crosse Street and west of the Cleary Alumni & Friends Center. Construction on the 600-space ramp and 8,700 square-foot police building is on schedule and nearly complete. The parking ramp is anticipated to open in mid-August and Police and Parking Services will move from the house at Farwell Street and East Avenue into their new offices in August. The brick house that currently houses University Police is on the site of the New Student Center and will be torn down this year. Currently a contractor is finishing up items including, landscaping, HVAC and mechanical items, site lighting and final detail work. Spots in the ramp are still available for students, faculty and staff to reserve, says UW-L’s Parking and Transportation Services Manager Victor Hill. Levels one and two are covered and are available for commuter parking. That includes students who live off campus as well as faculty, staff and visitors. The third level is reserved for students who live in residence halls. Hill says parking staff look forward to helping meet the high demand for parking spaces on campus. The lot will provide 600 additional spaces, which includes 200 more spots for students living on campus. “We’re excited to offer students on campus more flexibility as well as offer covered parking for faculty, staff and visitors,” says Hill. However, the campus could lose anywhere from 200-250 spaces when a new Student Center and Cowley Science Labs Building are built in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Because of the ongoing need for parking, an addition to the ramp is anticipated to be scheduled for summer 2014. This would add levels four and five to the ramp and an additional 400 vehicle spaces. Hill calls the new ramp and building a great opportunity for UW-L Campus Police and Parking and Transportation Services to reintroduce themselves to campus. They are planning a range of ways to disseminate campus parking information and ease use of the new facility. Stay tuned for those details closer to the start of the school year. “We’re trying to make it easier for people to be in compliance with parking rules,” says Hill. “We want to help ensure everyone has a place to park.” Parking rates and purchasing Parking permit rates are lower for the 2013-14 school year. The annual resident rate is $244 and the annual commuter rate is $194. To learn more and purchase a permit visit www.uwlax.edu/parking/ Student permit sales start July 15 Student parking permits go on sale July 15 when housing assignments are sent out. Graduate students, seniors, and juniors may purchase permits beginning July 15. Freshmen and sophomores follow. Learn more here www.uwlax.edu/parking/

Other building updates:

Student Center project moves forward The New Student Center project is on schedule for construction to begin in early 2014. The campus is currently in the design phase for the building. The UW-L design committee has 16 representatives including eight students as well as staff from the University Centers, Facilities Management, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs and Administration & Finance. The design committee has been meeting weekly with Kindness Architecture + Planning, the project architect, since March and will be presenting the 35 Percent Design Report for the project to the Board of Regents in October. The facts: Project cost: $55 million Location: Current parking lot east of Wimberly Hall Start construction: Early 2014 Construction completed: Fall 2016 Space: Study areas, lounges, student organization meeting rooms, program spaces, dining areas and indoor and outdoor recreational areas. Learn more: www.uwlax.edu/studentcenter/. Cowley Science Labs Project The Science Labs Project is also on schedule to start in March 2015. The university has submitted the request for architectural services to the state to begin the selection process for the project architect. The design process for the building project is anticipated to begin in the fall. The facts: Project cost: $82 million Location: Current parking lot north of Cowley Hall Start construction: March 2015 Construction completed: Fall 2017 Space: Teaching and research laboratories, classrooms and department offices