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The
Weekly
Ringer
VOLUME 97 | ISSUE 12
December 8, 2023
Eagle Landing Parking Deck top floors close for structural maintenance, students seek alternative parking spots
Kelly Hernley Staff Writer On Nov. 20, the fourth and fifth floors of the Eagle Landing Parking Deck closed parking access to students for structural maintenance. According to an email sent to students on Nov. 17 from Amy Jessee, the executive director of university communications, these two levels will remain closed through Dec. 15. The structural maintenance consists of resealing joints and attending to minor concrete repairs, according to the email. During the maintenance, the third level of the parking deck will remain open for students.
“We have a week left and the could’ve waited until all the students left for break.” - Danielle Bergida To accommodate for decreased parking access, students have been instructed to park in one of five other locations around campus: Alvey parking deck’s first three floors, the north side of the Eagle Landing residence hall, the Sunken Road north and south lots, the Pizza Hut lot and the Battleground lot. Students were also advised to view the campus parking map if they needed assistance in determining where those parking lots are located. The reason for the structural maintenance is due to water leaks, according to Brian Gorham, the executive di-
The third floor remains open for student parking access.
|2 INSIDE News Eagle Land-
THE
RINGER
ing parking deck closes on fourth and fifth floors
rector of facilities operation for the university. Gorham indicated that structural inspections of the parking garages on campus occur annually, and these inspections can identify potential long-term issues that need to be addressed. “The work being performed on the deck is urgent due to the fact that the garage is very susceptible to water leaking from the top deck onto the floors below, which, during freezing conditions, can create a dangerous, slippery, ‘frozen’ situation,” said Gorham. The fourth and fifth floors of the Eagle Landing Parking Deck closed access to students for structural The maintenance is being maintenance. Abbey Magnet / The Weekly Ringer done now, rather than after stuStudents were given a three-day notice about the dents leave for winter break,due to the materials that are maintenance work, during which they had to move their used to seal the cracks in the parking garage. These ma- cars from the fourth and fifth floors. The email with the terials are dependent on the outdoor air temperature and notice was sent on Friday, Nov. 17, and the work started have to be applied when it is above 45 degrees, according on the following Monday, Nov. 20. to Gorham. Gorham indicated that the notice to students was de“The risk of waiting means that if the temperature livered later than desired. dropped significantly, the work would not have been “The expedited notice was due to limited contractor completed,” said Gorham. availability, as they are in high demand,” said Gorham. However, some students were frustrated at the timing “We decided to move forward as they were available so of the maintenance repairs. that we could best ensure the long-term safety of our stu“I think it’s really inconvenient and honestly horrible dents using the garage structure.” timing,” said junior philosophy: pre-law major Danielle Bergida. “We have a week “Personally, it is a bit of an left and they could’ve waited until all the annoyance but understandably students left for break.” As a result of this maintenance, Bergida necessary.” found it difficult to park her car. “Personally it hasn’t affected my every- Brian Veranga day, but it makes parking super inconvenient,” she said. The work will be completed by Thalhimer, the real esStudents have also searched for park- tate agency that manages the building, according to Goring in other areas around the Eagle Land- ham. ing Apartments. Veranga explained that he hasn’t felt much of an im“I have resorted to regularly checking pact overall from the parking garage closure. for parking spaces behind and beside the “Personally, it is a bit of an annoyance but understandEagle Apartments,” said senior applied ably necessary,” said Veranga. “I don’t drive a lot in my economics major Brian Veranga. “Since it’s daily routine, but I do sometimes miss the luxury of not closer to the end of the semester, I have worrying about fighting for parking.” had better luck regularly finding parking.”
Abbey Magnet / The Weekly Ringer
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