The new bridge will allow students to cross over two roads and the train tracks that run along Southern Avenue. (Photo by Jonathan Capriel)
After receiving approval on Thursday from the Office of Planning and Development to close Echles Street and a small adjacent parking lot, the University of Memphis must await the city council decision to move forward on the plans for a pedestrian bridge across the Southern Avenue railroad tracks.
Land Use Controls, a division of OPD, approved the closing of Echles Street and the parking lot between Echles Street and Houston Street at the bi-monthly meeting.
The proposal will go before the city council either on Dec. 1 or Dec. 15 said Josh Whitehead the planning director and administrator for the OPD. If the city council approves the closing of the street and parking lot the University of Memphis will have three years to close them, he said.
The closing of these areas are all part of the plan to build a pedestrian bridge over Southern Ave, the railroad tracks and Walker Ave. Preliminary plans will lead the bridge directly into the Alumni Mall in front of the University Center. If the plan is approved by the city council, the University will close the street and cars will no longer be allowed on Echles Street, which sits between Southern Ave. and Spottswood Ave.
Memphis Tigers running back Doroland Dorceus, 21, who commutes to campus, said the closing of Echles should not affect traffic and parking.
“There’s other streets to drive on and places to park,†Dorceus said. “It’s going to be all positive. It’ll be good for future students.â€
Not all students are happy about Echles being closed soon. Tyler Michaels, 19, marketing sophomore commutes 30 minutes from Cordova everyday and hates the current parking situation.
“It’s already super hard to find parking, so now they want to take away like 300 parking spots? Well shit,†Michaels said. “I’m gonna have to get to school like an hour early and go HAM on people to find parking.â€
Echles closing and building the pedestrian bridge is all part of the bigger plan to build a new $62 million recreation center and $24 million parking garage, set to open in 2018.
President of the Student Government Association, David Knowles said he’s pushing for the parking garage to be opened before breaking ground on the rec center.
“We’re waiting on a grant from the Tennessee Board of Regents to start the parking garage,†said Knowles. “I really want that garage to be opened first so students will have somewhere to park.â€Â
They plan to close the current outdoor volleyball courts to put more parking in its place, he said.
The new rec center will feature a third-floor indoor running track, 25-meter indoor pool, a lazy river and new outdoor grass and turf fields. Knowles and his team are currently planning the interior look of the new rec. It should be opened by fall 2018.
