Where will hundreds of students park after Central Campus closure?

<p>Chronicle File Photo</p>

Chronicle File Photo

Student drivers, have no fear. Even with the influx of hundreds of additional students to West Campus when the Hollows dorm opens in the Fall, there will be room in Blue Zone for you to park.

The Blue Zone, which is currently listed as having space for 1,350 vehicles, will eliminate vendors' and contractors’ access to those spots to make room for students next semester. That change frees up enough space for the additional residents coming from Central Campus after it closes May 15, according to Beth Campbell, information systems manager for Duke Parking and Transportation Services.

“Over the past several years, a variety of moves have been made to transition the Blue Zone to a total focus on undergraduates,” Campbell wrote in an email to The Chronicle. “These moves were made in anticipation of the changes with the Hollows.”

Although Blue Zone capacity is listed at 1,350, it can actually hold 1,377 vehicles, Campbell noted.

Even at its peak this semester, it still had 226 vacant spaces, Campbell wrote. Removing contractor and vendor access—which took up 250 spots—will open up 476 spaces. 

Central Campus lots currently hold 776 parking spots, but only 375 undergraduate drivers had Central passes this year, Campbell wrote. Moving all 375 to West Campus would leave 101 free spots, assuming the numbers stay the same.

“The Blue Zone will have ample capacity to absorb undergraduates moving into the Hollows,” she wrote. 

Campbell added that Parking and Transportation “will continue to monitor utilization through the fall and spring semesters.”

The Hollows will offer suite-style dorms to hundreds of students beginning in Fall 2019.

Joe Gonzalez, assistant vice president of student affairs and dean for residential life, told The Chronicle in February 2019 that the dorm was originally intended to hold 500 students, but due to an influx of students from Duke Kunshan University, 180 Hollows singles will be converted into doubles, pushing the total students housed in the Hollows to approximately 680. 

Hollows suites hold four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small living room and a kitchenette. 

“I think students will really enjoy the environment. I think that the suite-style is very different from what we offer in the other buildings on West, and for some students, that environment will be exactly what they prefer,” Gonzalez said in February. “It gives us more alternatives on West in terms of style of housing, and I think that’s a good thing.”


Ben Leonard profile
Ben Leonard

Managing Editor 2018-19, 2019-2020 Features & Investigations Editor 


A member of the class of 2020 hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Ben is The Chronicle's Towerview Editor and Investigations Editor. Outside of the Chronicle, he is a public policy major working towards a journalism certificate, has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News and frequents Pitchforks. 

Discussion

Share and discuss “Where will hundreds of students park after Central Campus closure?” on social media.