The University of Memphis filed a building permit application with the Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement on Oct. 17 under the description “Parking garage and laid bridge.†The total cost for the project is $33.5 million.
Tony Poteet, assistant vice president for Campus Planning and Design, said the millions will cover each piece of construction.
“The $33.5 million is the construction cost for the entire project,†Poteet said.
Poteet said the project is about to go out for bid, and then the building project will begin.
“After the bid is announced, we will then start the projects as soon as possible,†Poteet said. “The garage will be finished first, then the bridge and the plaza.â€
Poteet said the general parking garage will include five stories and 1,140 spaces for cars, and the bridge will be built across Southern Avenue, so it can connect with the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks. An amphitheater is also planned to be built on Alumni Mall, which is located outside the University Center.
The U of M has now cut the budget for a future rec center in half after the designer for the center received several other commissions. Though the rec project now awaits a new designer, the university has filed a building permit application for a future parking garage and land bridge with the Shelby County Office of Constrution Code Enforcement.
“The amphitheater area will be located at the north landing of the bridge,†Poteet said. “It will allow small events, outdoor classes and many other things to occur there.â€
Poteet said the construction of each of these structures is set to be completed by the end of 2019, and they will provide safety and great access to that part of campus.
In addition, the plans include a new recreation center, the basketball and football training facilities and a Center for Health and Wellness, which are all part of a Master Campus Plan. The health center is planned to be located to the north of the future recreation center and should include a demonstration kitchen and programs to focus on fitness, wellness and academics.
The plan will also include the Scheidt Family Music Center, which has received over $40 million in state and private funds for construction. The music center will be 40,000 square feet and include a larger performance space than the current one.
The Patterson Avenue Realignment Project is also a component and is set to begin in 2018. By partnering with the city, the U of M aims to rearrange and improve the intersection of Patterson Street and Southern Avenue across the railroad tracks.
Students, faculty members and Memphis residents who are interested in the visual model of these new sites can watch “U of M Land Bridge, Parking Garage and Wellness and Fitness Center†on YouTube:
