Construction crews have begun paving a new surface parking lot, Lot D, immediately west of the new Athletic and Human Performance Research Center being constructed on 12th Street across from the Al McGuire Center, Marquette announced in a press release last Thursday.
In addition, the university recently demolished a property that sat vacant on the corner of 12th and Wells Streets, across from the AHPRC. Prior to being vacant, the space used to be a dry cleaner and a bus depot. The now open space will become another parking lot, said Lora Strigens, university vice president for planning and facilities management. The parking lot on the demolished lot was expected to be complete by May 2018, as reported by the Marquette Wire in December 2017.
According to a university news brief released on July 26, the Department of Facilities, Planning and Management worked with the City of Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to ensure the site was handled properly. The paved lot will sit vacant until summer 2019 to allow the ground to settle, according to the release.
The construction of the new AHPRC required the university to remove Lot F in order to create room for the facility. Strigens said that given the development of the AHPRC site on the former parking lot Lot F, the university decided to designate a new parking lot.
“The demolition removed two vacant buildings which were an eyesore, remediated the site and added a needed amenity to campus,” Strigens said. Referencing Marquette’s Campus Master Plan, which was created in 2016, Strigens said the now-demolished lot was identified for redevelopment at the time of the creation of the plan, but was not designated for a specific use.
“The campus master plan recommends implementation of projects in an integrated fashion,” Strigens said. “Together with the AHPRC project, addressing this site fits into the overall long-term plan for this area of campus.”
Lot F, formerly on 12th Street between Wisconsin Avenue and Wells Street, was a primary parking destination for Church of the Gesu parishioners and priests. It closed February of last year.
John O’Brien, director of operations and administration at Gesu, said when the new construction was announced, the impact on Gesu was quite public. He also said Marquette talked with Gesu about the new parking lot.
“From a parish perspective, once the new lot is completed, with the already-in-place permanent weekend access for Gesu to Lot G, there will actually be more total parking spots than before the construction started, available to the parish,” O’Brien said.
According to the release, once construction on the AHPRC is complete, the university will begin issuing permits for Lot D with parking available to select university employees beginning in late January or early February. Permits for the location will be $105 per month, the same as Lot G located on N. 12th Street. The permitting process will be announced in later this semester, according to the press release.
When the lot opens to Marquette faculty and staff, its surface will not be completely finished. The lot will be functional base asphalt with lighting and walkways. Final finish asphalt and landscaping will be completed in spring 2019, according to the press release.