Construction to close parking lot
By Michal Tellos
News Editor
November 18, 2009
 Due to construction on the Centre for Engineering Innovation (CEI), students will soon no longer be able to park in parking lot FF, located on the corner of Wyandotte Street and California Avenue.
No new lots will be set up for students, but parking services manager Laurie Butler-Grondin encourages students to utilize the parking that already exists and is under-used.
“You will still find plenty of on-campus parking available in lot V, located at Sunset and Union Streets, lot Z, at California and Union, and lots G, H, and U just off College Avenue,” she said.
The lot will no longer be available within a few weeks, and students will have visual aids in the lot to notify them when this time comes.
“Signs will soon be going up at the lot FF site to inform students of its imminent closure and we will have further directional signs along Sunset to guide students to additional parking,” said Lori Lewis, a spokesperson for the university.
Lewis also encourages students to use alternative parking that has been, until now, under-used by students.
The CEI project, a 300,000 sq. ft. facility, which currently has a budget of approximately $112-million, will make UWindsor one of the most advanced automotive engineering centres in Canada.
The project was approved by the board of governors last April, and aside from creating long-term jobs itself, it is expected to directly create over 1,600 construction jobs.
It is expected to have a total economic stimulus impact of $270-million over three years, both directly and indirectly.
Being located in Windsor, a hub of manufacturing in Ontario, the centre will provide opportunities for local entrepreneurs in the machine tool and die and mould industries to access qualified people and research. This will help address the changing needs of the industry.
Work at the CEI is expected to create spin-off jobs, increased industrial partnerships, as well as attract greater levels of research funding.
The facility will also be a benchmark in green construction, as it will be constructed of recycled materials when possible, as well as incorporate a green roof and use low-energy heating.
So despite the parking inconvenience, Butler-Grondin encourages students to look at the big picture.
“This is an exciting time of growth for the University of Windsor. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this parking reconfiguration and hope you will join us in welcoming construction of the University's most ambitious project to date,” she said. |
