We all know parking is a major concern on campus. The cost is significant but it is really the time spent walking in addition to my commute that is the challenge. I understand having to pay to park at a major academic center, I just want to get something for the cost. I currently park in S11 and spend 15 minutes each way to walk to my building. These walks can turn short commutes into an average one and average commutes into long ones.
There remains an incredibly underutilized resource on campus. That involves what I believe used to be graduate housing along the S12 parking lots. These buildings have been abandoned since I first arrived on campus in 2013. In an area lacking space, these abandoned buildings represent an untapped resource for the Carolina Community. It seems extremely strange that these have not been torn down, especially for a parking deck. Just 2/3 of these would represent a massive upgrade to the current parking system. Being that they are located downhill from the Bell Tower, they can be build much higher than the Craige deck as well.
Response (Plan in Progress)
Your suggestion is timely – the University and School of Medicine are currently in development of master plans for space use. The University in May received approved from the Board of Governors on the 2019 University Master Plan. I think you might find this information interesting, as it addresses plans for new parking decks in the Campus South area where we are located.
- Page 78 includes description of a new parking garage planned for S1. Scheduled to begin construction in January, once completed, we expect this will help to decompress the SOM parking as lot assignments shift with 450 parking spaces added.
- Page 87 illustrates proposed new parking decks on South Campus, as well as plans to demolish Odum Village and realign the streets in the surrounding area. On page 86, they described possible plans for mixed-use spaces replacing the former Odum Village apartments.
The School of Medicine is current reviewing its own Master Plan to review current space use and plan for future needs and is expected to be completed in 2020. We will forward your comments to the Master Plan Steering Committee to provide them additional feedback. – October 2019