By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com
With the construction of a future downtown parking garage expected to begin in August, the Downtown Parking Advisory Commission is reaching out to Oxford citizens through emails and public hearings to keep them abreast of the construction timeline and availability of parking spots.
At a public hearing Thursday at City Hall, DPAC president Tom Sharpe outlined the schedule for the next coming weeks. Construction bids are expected to be opened on Aug. 7. After the Board of Aldermen approve the lowest and best bids, construction is set to begin on Aug. 27.
A ground-breaking ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Aug. 20 at the site of the future garage, located south of Jefferson Avenue behind the Oxford Square North shopping center.
“The parking lot will be closed down on Aug. 26,” Sharpe said.
The city-owned parking lot has about 235 parking spaces currently that will no longer be available once construction begins.
“That’s going to be a hassle,” Sharpe said. “Until people get used to where they can park, it will take a little getting used to.”
Sharpe said the city has come up with additional parking areas, either through rental agreements with property owners or through “donations” of spaces through local churches and Lafayette County government officials.
Along with the free parking lots around the Square currently, 60 spaces will be available in the former Gin parking lot; 33 spaces will be available at the Mississippi Department of Human Services building; 40 spaces will be available at the Church of Christ – pending a wedding, funeral or other church event during the weeks; and 31 spaces on a county-owned lot between Fifth and Sixth streets.
A representative from the Oxford-United Methodist Church said the public will be welcome to use about 20 parking spaces on the top deck of the church’s new parking structure and 40 spots in the current parking lot, as long as there are no church activities going on during the week.
DPAC commissioner and First Baptist Church member Dreher Harris said the public was also welcome to use the church parking lots during the week.
Project manager Casey Rogers, with Innovative Construction Management, said he will continually notify the public about the construction schedules and updates to the project. He passed around a sign-up sheet for those attending the meeting to provide email addresses to receive updates.
“If we’re having an early-morning concrete pour, or have major deliveries coming in, or maybe we need to move the construction fence, we will let you know,” he said. “We want to maintain open communication.”
Stephen Crissey, owner of The Growler located in the Oxford North Square shopping center, asked if there will be room for delivery trucks behind the business.
Rogers said delivery trucks will be free to access the back of the businesses through Monroe Avenue that will remain open during construction.
Rogers said the biggest delivery to the site will come in November when the 60-foot precast walls are delivered.
“However, we have told the contractors that there will be no deliveries between 7 and 9 a.m. and 3 and 5 p.m., so we don’t get in the way of school traffic,” he said.
Another public meeting about the parking garage will be held at 5 p.m. on Aug. 9.
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