University of Utah approves $116.3 million plan for campus parking structure

The University of Utah’s board of trustees has approved a $116.3 million bond for a new underground parking structure that will provide about 1,500 more spaces on the Salt Lake City campus.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the parking structure will be built on a site west of the Jon M. Huntsman Center and should be finished in about 20 to 24 months. Construction is set to start this summer.

Parking has long been a major frustration for those who commute to the university. The campus has 38,000 students and 36,000 employees, as well as hundreds of visitors each day to its adjoining hospital.

The campus has about 9,000 permitted parking spots, and the university issues about 35,000 parking permits annually. That means there are about four times fewer parking spots than there are parking permit holders. 

The subterranean parking will be built into an incline in the foothills. Future plans also envision adding housing, dining and retail spaces on top of the structure.

This fall, the university also will open about 1,000 parking stalls at Fort Douglas on the east end of campus.