WT students, faculty, and staff are waiting for the arrival of the new parking spaces located south of the Virgil Henson Activities Center and behind Jones Hall.

About three years ago, the university had a master plan to demolish the Silver Creek Apartments, which was purchased for $1,450,000, for additional parking spaces on the east side of campus.  The university took steps that led up to clearing of the building.

“We purchased the property in May. We had a contractor lined up, first of all, to do the asbestos abatement.  As a state university and state agency, we had to go through those environmental surveys and the environmental assessments.  So after we purchased the property, we did the environmental assessment of the land itself, which was all cleared,” Gary Barnes, the Vice President of Business and Finance, said.

In addition, Barnes stated that they had to check for radioactive dump on the ground as well as a gasoline distillation, which it came out clear.  They also did an asbestos abatement survey. They found asbestos in the building and did an abatement. Soon after, they demolished the building.

It will take months before the project will get completed.

“We hope that it’ll be ready by the time the students come back from Christmas break,” Barnes said.

There will be 420 spaces available in the new parking lot.

“I think it’s a great idea because we need extra parking spots, especially for those who pay for parking stickers and don’t get to use them because there isn’t a spot available,” Daniel Marin, a junior Business major, said.

“It is a much needed addition, and we should have had new parking spaces months ago, so it’s about time,” Alyssa Duncan, a junior English major, said.