The Janss structure will accommodate about 520 more cars and create an above-ground plaza between Men's Gym and the Dance Building. The Janss lot and part of the new underground ramp are being paid for by funds allocated for the construction of the medical center. The demolition of Lot 14, which could happen as early as this summer, will make room for the new medical center. The Janss lot is intended as a replacement for some of the spaces that will be lost. The Lot 4 expansion was planned before the decision to demolish Lot 14, but because of it, Stocki said Transportation Services is about even in the number of parking spaces even with the impending loss of about 1,500 spots.
Officials cite more than the added parking as a benefit of the construction, though.
One of the features of the project is the outdoor plaza area, which makes more open space available to the campus. The plaza will resemble what was in that space before Towell, a temporary building, took its place in 1993. The plaza will feature a concrete and brick sidewalk with grass, trees and new plants along Men's Gym and the Dance Building. The elevator towers in the plaza, like those built for Lot 4, will be similar in design to Men's Gym. The plaza will be larger in size than the original plaza, according to Fisher, and will add half an acre of useable open space to the campus.