A campus parking garage, carrying the price tag of $8.5 million, was approved by the state on June 20.
"It will increase the parking for students, faculty and short-term visitors," associate vice president, finance and assistant treasurer of business affairs Thomas Spangler said.
Construction is set to begin Aug. 1, 2003.
The idea has been in the planning stages for about two years, Spangler said.
Spangler said the new garage is important because of the construction of other facilities such as the Art and Journalism Building and the Music Instruction Building, which is under construction.
The garage, known as the McKinley Parking Structure, will house 600 parking places with the main floor holding only metered parking spots. The structure, which will be located at the intersection of McKinley and Ashland directly south of the Music Instruction Building, will contain one main floor and three elevated floors.
Project manager and assistant director of facilities planning Gregory Graham said the building of the structure could take 12 to 14 months.
The process of determining the design began a year and a half ago.
Graham said the design, created by Ratio Architects Inc., is complete.
"The mobilization will begin when the contractor is chosen," Graham said.
Graham said the McKinley Parking Structure is a unique project.
"Usually we have a specific user or client for the facility," Graham said. "When building a parking garage, you have a larger group you have to think about."
State Rep. Tiny Adams was quoted in a document from the Indiana House of Representatives as saying the garage construction will create 250 jobs for Muncie residents.
Graham said it was unknown how many jobs would result from the construction, but estimated somewhere between 40 to 50 people on-site daily.
The price of the structure will not be funded by the state but by bonds and parking fees over the next 20 years, Spangler said.
According to the notification of action by the Board of Trustees, the project will be financed by issuing $6.5 million in parking revenue bonds to be funded from campus parking user fees and $2 million from university funds held for future parking garage needs.
President Blaine Brownell said increases will not only go to the construction of the new building but to the maintenance and improvement of all other parking facilities at Ball State.
Brownell said the garage is important because many people have had difficulties attending events on campus due to lack of parking.
"The parking garage will provide better access to our cultural aspects," he said.
Brownell said the state does not pay for facilities such as residence, dining or athletic halls.
"When we increase (payments) in parking, dining or the residence halls, we need those funds to pay for the services provided by them," Brownell said.
The board approved the proposed fine and permit increases May 12.
"The university has a plan in place over the next three to four years to increase permit fees," director of public safety Gene Burton said.
Although vehicle registration fees and restricted parking fees for surface lots and parking garages will remain the same in the fall, the prices of fines and penalties will increase.
For example, anyone who parks over the metered time who once paid $5 will now be faced with a $10 white slip.
By fall of 2007, annual vehicle registration fees will jump from the current price of $40 to $75.
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