University of Memphis President M. David Rudd answered student questions Tuesday at a Town Hall Meeting in the University Center Theatre.
Rudd took questions from those in attendance and those who tuned into the online broadcast. The Town Hall meeting, the only one that has happened this semester, included Rudd and his leadership team shedding light on many current topics such as parking complications around campus and the progression of various construction projects.
“We have talked about the Rec Center, garage, plaza and bridge,” Rudd said. “Those things are moving along very nicely. The garage is moving along, it seems, incredibly quick. You can see its progress on a regular basis.”
Bruce Harber, the U of M chief operations officer, said construction for the pedestrian bridge will begin in the coming couple of weeks. He also said the expected time of completion for the parking garage on Southern Avenue is Summer 2019. Walker Avenue has been constricted to one lane in preparation for this construction. There will also be no parking along Walker Avenue during this time. Following the completion of the pedestrian bridge and the parking garage, the Recreation Center construction should begin sometime during the fall of next year.
Rudd said the Rec Center construction could not begin until the garage is open due to the displaced parking. Rudd also said the new Music Building on Central Avenue will begin construction around the same time as the Wellness Center. The space behind the Holiday Inn will be converted into additional parking for students, so they can replace the 400 spots in the Central Avenue parking lot that will be taken by the Rudy E. Sheidt School of Music building.
“That will be in place before we start quartering areas off, and we lose any spaces,” Rudd said. “We are trying to be sensitive and make sure we have no loss of parking during the construction.”
The numerous construction plans created a higher rate of complications with parking on campus. Rudd addressed the issue with his leadership team after many students asked what actions were being taken to improve parking.
“We are making a concerted effort,” Rudd said. “The parking garage will help significantly. It’ll alleviate some of the parking issues. We are looking at everything that we do relative to parking.”
A student asked Rudd what measures were going to be taken to ensure safety inside the new parking garage. Rudd said there are plans to install cameras inside and outside the garage, as well as LED lights to help ensure safety in the garage.
“The new parking garage will not only be general access parking for all students, but it is also planned to feature a gated general access lot,” Harber said. “So all students or faculty will have the ability to park in a closed-off lot exclusive only to U of M people.”
Some students who attended the meeting said they felt more informed afterward.
“The meeting really got me informed with what is going on at campus, and now when I see a problem on campus, I have background information from the president himself,” said freshman Landon Shelby.
Margo Huber, a physics major at the U of M, said she wished the Town Hall was publicized more but was glad she came.
“It needs to be publicized earlier so that more students know,” Huber said. “I know every time I come here, I learn things I wouldn’t have known about.”
University of Memphis president M. David Rudd answered questions on various campus issues and concerns at Tuesday's Town Hall Meeting. Rudd hosts this event yearly.
Alden Schmidt, a student at the University of Memphis, asks about the issue of driving around the intersection of Patterson and Houston Streets. She said her car was in an accident because of poor visibility and construction at this intersection.
