Parking talks rekindled

By Jason Dilg
The Metropolitan

Pepsi Center representatives will resume negotiations with Auraria Campus on an agreement that could increase parking spots for students, faculty and staff at Auraria.

Dean Wolf, Aurariaās executive vice president for Administration, said he re-opened the parking talks with Pepsi Center representatives in early March.

Wolf said a parking deal with the Pepsi Center could mean Auraria students, faculty and staff would have access to 500-1,000 of the Pepsi Centerās projected 4,000 parking spaces from 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday - Thursday during spring and fall semesters.

In return, people attending Pepsi Center events could park their vehicles in Auraria lots, Wolf said. But Pepsi Center patrons could use Auraria parking only to the extent that it doesnāt affect parking availability for those who come to campus for school, he added.

That means Auraria lots would be exclusive to Auraria students, faculty and staff during the day Monday through Thursday during fall and spring

semesters, Wolf said. Pepsi Center patrons would have access to Auraria during the summer, and evenings and weekends during the school year.

But the deal between the Pepsi Center and Auraria could create conflicting demand for Auraria spaces when Pepsi Center events are held on fall and spring semester weeknights, Wolf said.

Many Tivoli patronās cars are still parked in Lot D, behind the Tivoli, at that time.

ćThereās a need to develop a way to preserve our parking for faculty, staff and students,ä Wolf said.

Wolf said using decals or bar codes on Auraria userās cars would identify students and faculty.

The Pepsi Centerās main lot will be adjacent to Auraria, from Fourth Street to Ninth Street and from Wazee Street to Auraria Parkway, according to Paul Jacobson, a Pepsi Center representative.

Similar parking negotiations were cut off a year-and-a- half ago when the future of the Pepsi Center was in doubt, Wolf said.

Wolf said he hopes prices for parking at either facility would be relative to what customers would pay at the one they are attending.

The Pepsi Center, owned by Ascent Entertainment Group, will hold 160 events a year, including Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets games, concerts and ice shows, Jacobson said. The facility is scheduled to open in October 1999.
 

Ferd Belz, a consultant to the Pepsi Center, confirmed that he met with Wolf, but would not comment on the content of the meeting. Pepsi Center officials denied meeting with Auraria.

Wolf said he expects Auraria will have 3,000 more students driving 1,200 more cars by 2000. Plus, 275 spaces in Lot G will disappear in December 1998 when construction begins on a performing arts building. An administration building planned for Lot E will cannibalize another 200 spaces, Wolf said.

Wolf said 100 spaces will be added to Lot M in May 1998 and an unimproved lot across Fifth Street from Lot E will be developed in fall 1998, adding another 500 to 600 spaces.

Opening lots to other users would help Auraria collect more money from its spaces by having more customers parking in Auraria lots and paying higher prices when there has been little demand, like summers and weekends, Wolf said.
 

Nevertheless, Wolf said prices for Auraria parking will go up for the first time since 1991, possibly as soon as this summer. Wolf said the parking system gets no money other than parking to cover operation and administration costs, so the increase is necessary to keep up with inflation.

Wolf said he wonāt speculate on how much parking fees would increase until he sees a draft of the Auraria parking and transportation study, to be completed by the end of the month.
 

Wolf said he might find himself negotiating parking access to Aurariaās lots with another large Central Platte Valley facility ÷ the Colorado Ocean Journey.
 

Jim Hekkers, the president of the aquarium, said he may bring the issue to Auraria.

ćItās on our radar screen. Weāre still a year away from opening, and we have a lot of things to figure out,ä Hekkers said.