The Northwest Parking Garage on Ohio State’s campus opened last week after being closed all summer for construction.
While some interior work remains, officials said it will not hinder the use of the garage, which opened for use on Aug. 22, the first day of classes.
Chris Henderson, project manager with design and construction for Facilities Operations and Development, said the garage, which is near Neil and 19th avenues, was closed for “preventative maintenance.”
Construction included waterproofing the concrete to protect it from water and salt brought into the garage from cars, Henderson said. In addition, “there was an interior painting of the garage for visibility and to help with reflecting light to make it a better, safer parking garage.”
The original project budget was $1.3 million, and the current contract is slightly less at $1.09 million, Henderson said.
The garage closed on June 11, seven days before the beginning of summer semester.
Henderson said there are still a few improvements to be made on the garage, but they will not affect its operation. Henderson called the remaining improvements “punch-list items” that include completing the painting of the floor levels. These improvements can be done while people continue to use the garage.
Many students who use the garage said they were not phased by the construction.
“It doesn’t bother me at all,” said Kory Wiita, a second-year in business, who drives to class everyday with his sister. He added that the Northwest Garage is closest to his classes and because it re-opened on the first day of the semester, he wasn’t affected by its closing over the summer.
Lindsay Komlanc, communications director for administration and planning, said rerouting people who use the garage was not a huge problem since the construction occurred over the summer and there are other garages in the area.
“It was a really easy shift of traffic,” Komlanc said. “Because it was summertime, it was really something that we were just able to absorb.”
However, some people did notice the changes, particularly those who typically park in Tuttle Park Garage, which is near Northwest Parking Garage.
“That parking garage was very busy,” said Mohammed Rahman, a senior statistical consultant with the Office of the Chief Information Officer. “Also, it was a hard time finding (parking) places.”
Komlanc said faculty members are the primary users of the Northwest Garage.
The Northwest Garage is not the only garage undergoing construction. Komlanc said the 12th Avenue Garage is closed until December for both basic and major construction and the Arps Garage that has College Road and High Street entrances is operating with different entrance and exit routes while construction on the East Regional Chilled Water Plant begins.