Plans to construct a five-story parking structure this spring semester on campus have been delayed due to financial issues.

Construction was supposed to start in May of 2009, but Biola is being cautious on how finances are being used in these tight economic times, said Ken Bascom, senior director of facilities planning. As a result, the project has been pushed down the priority list, despite being an increasingly pressing need.
Money that would have originally gone toward the parking structure is now partially being diverted toward students who need financial aid.

A team of engineers and architects are currently brainstorming on when the structure will be built, Bascom said. He said the date is “a little up in the air right now,” but construction may begin fall of 2009 and be available for use in the summer of 2010.

Two firms are contracted with Biola for the construction, including one that built the parking lot beneath the soccer field.

Coming alongside Bascom in the project are licensed architects and a civil engineer. The civil engineer is working on a construction site drawing that will help relocate water pipes in the way of construction.

These plans need approval from Los Angeles County, which forbids construction over sewer lines, according to Bascom. Approval is also needed from Suburban Water Systems to move the main water lines on campus. Bascom said that the process of moving the circulation of water is less a financial issue than it is a time consuming one.

Student population growth has made the availability of parking spaces a critical issue for Facilities Planning. A La Mirada city ordinance requires Biola to have 676 parking spaces for every 1,000 full time students enrolled at Biola, Bascom said. The school cannot keep up with that requirement without a parking structure, he added.

Junior Smirna Lezcano said she is tired of parking her truck in small compact parking spaces.

“I like the idea that there’s [going to be] a new structure” Lezcano said. “I think for the commuters, it would actually work better because sometimes it’s really hard to find parking and … [off campus parking] gets full really quick.”

Senior Thomas Gabler has been commuting for two years and said delaying the construction for financial reasons was smart, but acknowledges the scarcity of on- campus parking.

“I tend to get here early in the mornings, so I don’t really get struggle [with parking],” said Gabler. “However, I do know that [commuters] do have problems … especially if the commuter leaves and they tend to get lunch, or go to work, and sometimes it’s hard for them to get back and find a parking spot anywhere nearby.”

There have not been any major alterations regarding the design of the parking structure since its inception, excluding minor piping changes in the surrounding areas of the construction site. The structure will consist of a ground level and four additional levels, which will be located between the pool and the baseball field.