Parking ramp proposed

-- Dara Trooien Leitner

A parking ramp is to be completed several years from now for Metropolitan State University. It would be built between Mounds Boulevard and Maria Avenue on the south side of Sixth Street, where the St. Paul-area APWU of the US Postal Service and the Dietz-Kane Insurance Agency offices are currently located.

"Currently, there isn’t a need for a ramp; but because of our location in a densely populated urban area and as we add new and significantly sized buildings that increases the demand on parking, we’d need to have a place for people to park," said Dan Kirk, associate vice president of Administrative Affairs.

Though no official date has been set, the ramp is expected to be completed some time between 12–18 months from the start of construction (depending on the size of the project).

The parking ramp would not only impact students that attend Metropolitan State University but anyone who lives and/or works in the neighborhoods surrounding the university. Although the cost to park in the current parking lot on the St. Paul Campus is only $2.50, many still choose to park on the streets in front of the homes of residents or businesses.

Kirk said that the relationship between the university and neighbors and business owners has been strained because of this.

Kirk also made it clear that if and when a parking ramp is built, keeping the cost of parking as low as possible is important—even though legislative directive requires that parking lot users are required to pay the "fee" associated with operating and maintaining parking lots and ramps, such as utilities, the upkeep of lighting, parking control and other needed equipment as well as parking lot and security staff.

According to Kirk, it will be a collaborative decision between many different people, including students, neighbors, administration, the MnSCU Board of Trustees, the university foundation, the City of Saint Paul, possibly Legislature, as well as others who have an interest in the project.