For many students, road closed signs and detours symbolize fewer parking spaces and restricted campus accessibility – but administrators see construction as campus improvement.
“I know this is a little inconvenient to students, but the current projects will highly enhance the university,” said Sam Houston, director of facility planning and construction.
Houston speaks of the five new buildings for the school of pharmacy, journalism, Coleman Library and the Black Archive Museum, and the FAMU Law School in Orlando.
Projection costs for construction during the 2003-2004 school term total $59 million. A mixture of funds – Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) and private – is footing the costs for many of the buildings.
Houston said he is sure all construction projects will be completed on schedule and he doesn’t expecting any serious delays.
“We’ve had an abnormal rain fall this spring already, that’s the only anticipated delays that would occur.”
Micheal Watson, University Parking Services parking enforcement coordinator, said that there are ample parking spaces for students and current construction should not cause problems.
“There is a convenience problem with parking,(but) there’s parking. It’s just not close to where people need to be.”
Kareta Monette, 21, a senior psychology student from St. Joe said that she hasn’t had a problem finding a parking space since school started, but added that parking has always been an issue.
She added that the area in front of Gibbs Hall is often roped off.
“It’s good for FAMU because it’s expanding,” he said. “But for people who are driving it’s really a nuisance because of having to wake up early to find more parking space.”