The construction of a paid parking garage on the Square began last August and after several initial delays, the new completion date is set for September 19, 2019.
With the parking lot nestled behind Boure and Uptown Coffee closed for the construction of the garage, approximately 234 free parking spaces have been unavailable for Square-goers this year.
Matt Davis, the Director of Parking for the city of Oxford, said OPD has heard many complaints about the fundamental lack of parking availability around the Square since the beginning of the project, but it’s a problem that won’t persist, he said.
“There are going to be more parking spaces due to the addition of the garage, and there will also be various parking options for all types of users,” said Davis.
Upon completion, the garage will house 399 new parking spots total, including an area outside with 86 regular spaces, four handicapped spaces, and two charter bus spaces.
The parking garage is a $12 million project and something the city is attempting to pay for in full directly from parking revenue, which includes parking meters and tickets. City officials discussed the possible conversion of most of the free parking lots around the Square into paid parking at a Courthouse Square Historic Commission Meeting earlier this month.
“We committed to doing a garage,” said Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill, “We’re committed to using parking revenues to pay for it.”
Tannehill said that the construction delays due to weather have taught her that the parking garage needs to be waterproofed. She also noted that this past year, Oxford has had a staggeringly high amount of rainfall.
Tannehill was one of several people to bring up this issue in April’s first Oxford Board of Aldermen.
“This rain keeps changing things, construction wise, with our roads, with our parking garage,” Tannehill said.
The typical method to waterproof building materials like the ones used to construct the garage is a spray-on agent, but the longevity and warranty of the spray on solution is only five years.
The use of a waterproof additive to be mixed into the concrete was proposed and approved by the aldermen, which should last at least ten years.
The recent abundance of city and university construction projects have caused speculation about the future of public transportation in Oxford and the OUT bus.
With projects like the Chucky Mullins Drive lot and bus loop and Fraternity Row bus loop and bus-only portions, the university is pushing a narrative relying heavily on public transportation.
At the Board of Aldermen’s first April meeting, interim director of OUT commission Donna Zampella offered some insight on the increase of the OUT line’s outreach.
Zampella said the OUT bus line is adding three more buses and extending riding hours until 10 p.m. to ensure that all users can enjoy Oxford to the fullest.
Davis said the city is trying to push Oxford residents and students alike to use the bus lines as a means to take pressure off the parking situation. He also said she plans to improve existing lines with maps detailing routes and their stops in order to streamline the process for passengers.
With the parking garage project closing in on its completion date and the OUT bus line getting a much-needed revamping, balance may be restored to the parking situation in the fall.
“Parking around the Square is definitely changing,” said Davis. “But, it is changing for the better.”
