University Star

The Edward Gary Street Garage off University Drive opened Jan. 2013 and is enforces hourly parking rates.

Texas State is hoping to ease parking woes with the addition of a new garage operating under a permit and pay-as-you-go system.

The new Edward Gary Street Parking Garage, located next to the Performing Arts Center, opened Jan. 2 for students and the public. Nancy Nusbaum, interim director of transportation services, said the garage has 458 parking spaces in total, 250 of which will be designated for residential permit holders. Nusbaum said the remaining 208 spots will be pay by the hour spaces. She said the entire garage is currently open for parking, but the construction of the surrounding sidewalks is yet to be completed.

Michael Petty, director of Facilities and Planning, Design and Construction, said office spaces in the garage are not yet complete, but will be ready no later than September. Petty said the garage reached “substantial completion” on Jan. 2, and the Edward Gary Street Garage project is anticipated to cost $17.7 million total.

Nusbaum said residential permit prices will range from about $250 to $485 once the costs increase next fall. She said the residential permits will be made available to other individuals if they are not purchased by students living on campus. The permits allowed in the parking garage may be limited to certain residence halls in the area, but it has not yet been determined.

Nusbaum said the garage was constructed to provide parking for the university, the Performing Arts Center and downtown shoppers.

Kirstin Sims, music education junior and member of VocaLibre, said she paid to park in the garage while at an hour-long rehearsal. Sims said it is convenient to have parking available by the theatre building and many of the dorms, rather than in the student center garage on the other side of campus.

Mitchell Classen, construction science and management sophomore, said he will not use the new garage this semester because it is not near his classes. He said the university is a business that is trying to “make as much money as possible.” He said from a business standpoint, the pay-as-you-go garage is a good idea for the university, but for students who are being “subjected to high tuition, it is a pain.”

“I think they can do a better job at helping out commuter students,” Classen said.

Gwynne Ash, associate professor of education and faculty senator, said the group is concerned the garage is causing an increase in permit prices.

Many of Ash’s colleagues in the College of Education seem eager to buy spaces in the new garage, she said.