Finding a parking space is a daily battle fought by commuting students and faculty alike. Over 70% of NJIT’s students commute to campus, making this task an unforgiving ordeal, and with the construction of the Honors Residency Hall in 2012, student and faculty parking became limited to only a single parking deck, causing an overall increase in commuter dissatisfaction.

“I have to drive to school hours before my first class just to make sure I can get a parking space,” Walter Cevallos, a third year commuter said.

This sentiment is shared among the commuting populace, but a recent interview with the Vice President for Real Estate Development and Capital Operations discloses a solution that should be eagerly anticipated by all: a new seven story parking deck to be built by the fall of 2016.

Andrew P. Christ is a professional engineer with vast experience in facilities and construction management on university campuses. While his responsibilities previously entailed planning, designing, construction, and modification of new and existing facilities at New Jersey City University, his more recent appointment to head construction projects here at NJIT involves him in the highly anticipated renewal of the Central King Building and of course, the new Science and Technology Park Parking Garage.

To accommodate the thousands of commuters that arrive every morning, NJIT currently leases smaller parking spaces that surround the perimeter of the campus. These smaller parking lots will no longer be leased after the construction of the Science and Technology Park Parking Garage.

This new parking deck will be built on the already existing Lot 10, which sits between the University Center and the Warren Street Light Rail station on Lock Street. Christ believes by centralizing where students park on campus, student safety and convenience will be greatly improved.

The new seven floor parking deck totals 984 new spaces, and is notably designed to meet the “Green Garage Certification”, the world’s only rating system that recognizes sustainable practices in parking structure management. This standard promotes a holistic approach to garage performance and sustainability, driving increased energy efficiency, and reduced environmental impact.

An example of such implementation is “daylight harvesting”, which is an LED lighting system that automatically adjust light levels according to the time of day to conserve energy.

“I think it’s a great plan,” Cevallos said. “I’m glad that the administration has finally recognized how much of a problem parking really is, and I know that the rest of the commuters will appreciate this new parking deck as much as I do.”