It’s official. A garage is in Rio Grande Campus’ future.
The Austin Community College District’s Board of Trustees approved a $15 million budget to expand parking at the Rio Grande Campus, near the Skills Center site at 12th Street and Shoal Creek Boulevard.
The new parking garage, which Facilities and Construction Director Bill Mullane hopes to break ground on next spring, should accommodate around 400 spaces. The original concept was to build 1,200.
“We’re not going to be able to build 1,200 spaces, but we’re going to build as much as we can,” Mullane says. The board has also authorized the negotiation of acquiring additional property near the campus for more parking spots.
Yet even more construction is planned at Rio Grande with the renovation of the gymnasium building to add classrooms and faculty offices.
The board recently approved $12 million to fund the renovation project and selected a design firm and construction manager. The exterior of the building should not change much, however, with the exception of minor cleanup and repair. “We’re expecting to work primarily within the existing shell,” Mullane says.
Gymnasium renovation is expected to begin next summer.
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By David Cuddeback September 20, 2007 - 11:56 am
I have a suggestion to alleviate the tremendous headaches that are going to occur when the 2 faculty/staff parking lots next to the skill center are closed for the year it will take to demolish the skill center and build the parking garage at RGC. ACC could possibly rent a couple of floors of the REI/Bookpeople parking garage for faculty/staff parking. This garage at the former Whole Foods site is underutilized and the owners might jump at the chance to generate a little income from it. It is not too far away to walk to and from RGC. It would not take nearly as much time as using the Dillo.