Storm of Dust

During the next 18 months, students and faculty at Austin Community College's Rio Grande Campus should be prepared to battle even more parking shortages - and a storm of dust.

Several construction projects are slated for the area beginning this summer. The erection of an Austin Community College parking garage and the rennovation of the RGC gymnasium are part of a dual plan made possible by the ACC Board of Trustees' recent approval of $15 million and $12 million budgets, repectively. In addition, the Austin Recreation Center is planning construction of a skate park in the same vicinity.

The college unveiled its own plans at a community meeting Jan. 24. The parking garage, to be located at 12th Street and Shoal Creek Boulevard, will contain 456 spaces on six levels, with retail space fronting 12th Street. The gymnasium, which sits unoccupied at 1214 West Ave., will also house classes and faculty offices.

The cost of the new garage should be self-contained within the budget approved by the Board of Trustees. If any added costs are required, the board must first approve any plan before it can be implemented.

Though the projects will alleviate congestion in the parking lot and in the classroom when completed in the fall of 2009, current students and employees trying to find a place to park may find it increasingly difficult amidst the construction. This has created quite an issue for students all too familiar with the headache of finding a parking spot within walking distance of the campus.

"The fact that sometimes I'm late for class and I have no place to park," said ACC student Kent McArthur, "I think it's atrocious."

The 140 parking spaces allotted for RGC students in the Shoal Creek parking lot are rented by ACC from the City of Austin. But having a permit does not guarantee a parking space. Students must get in line and park on a first come-first served basis. A parking permit only entitles a student the chance to park in the lot.

The shortage leads students to find a spot in the surrounding neighborhoods, much to the frustration of area residents. Many streets now require a residential parking permit and students who ignore postings risk their car being towed.

Another area construction project, the ARC skate park, touching the north side of the Skill Center, will be going up for construction bid in June. Work on a new skate park could begin as soon as the contract is awarded.

The park has not progressed beyond the design stages, but officials will hold a meeting later this month in hopes of solidifying design details.

"Hopefully they break ground in July and hopefully they finish by the end of fall," said No-Comply skate shop co-owner, Jake Nunn.

With the project being in its early stages, the question of whether construction will spill over into the Shoal Creek parking lot, increasing the gridlock, still looms. According to administrators, ACC has no say in skate park affairs.

When asked how much impact the garage will have on the parking situation at RGC, Pamela Collier, project manager for ACC, said, "it's going to help [but] it doesn't solve the problem. That is why we are pursuing other sites."

Upon completion, the current construction projects will breath new life into the campus and surrounding neighborhood. The garage will do a great deal to make parking spots more available within walking distance of the classroom, which will be a relief to ACC's students and neighbors alike.