With classes set to begin Wednesday, construction is well underway in one of Clemson’s biggest parking lots.
Closed since Nov. 28, 2022, the entire Lot 5 parking facility is now filled with construction equipment and materials to complete Phase II of Clemson Athletics’ Memorial Stadium project. The project hopes to create an enhanced tailgate experience, an improved visual scenery and a new sidewalk for the football team’s Tiger Walk.
With the realignment on Williamson Road and the entirety of Lot 5 being closed until August, Clemson will open two new lots for commuting students, Parking and Transportation Services director Dan Hofmann told The Tiger.
Once construction is finished, there will still be 696 commuter spaces in Lot 5; however, over 170 spots will be permanently lost from the original number before construction began.
While the renovations promise a better experience around Memorial Stadium, in the long run, the short-term effects of the construction may be detrimental.
“Regardless of the actual situation and who is responsible for the inconvenience, the group that is being affected the most is our students,” CUSG Student Senator and Infrastructure and Operations Committee Chair Minhyun Shin said. “The parking and transportation services have been working hard to find alternative parking spaces available for students ever since the tiger walk construction was approved by the board.”
The lack of student parking at Clemson has been a hot-button issue for years, and although the loss of parking in Lot 5 will only last until August, students will likely have even more trouble than usual this semester.
