A Constructive Summer - Parking Ramp

The second installment chronicling our seminary construction projects this summer: the Parking Ramp for the University of Saint Thomas.

The University of Saint Thomas is constructing a parking ramp at the corner of Cretin and Grand Avenues. Why do we care, you ask? What does some additional parking for UST have to do with the Saint Paul Seminary? Here's the reason: the construction forces half of the summer traffic at UST to drive straight through the seminary's main parking lot.

BACKGROUND: The University of Saint Thomas has planned an expansion to their main athletic complex, which is on the North campus. Nearly all of the arenas in the complex and field house will be expanded, including a new swim-facility. UST is currently attempting to complete a five hundred million dollar campaign to attempt to pay for this and other projects.

The problem: This expansion will eleminate most of the main parking lot on the North campus.

UST's solution: Build a parking ramp on the South campus to cover the lost parking spaces.

THE SITUATION: The construction of the parking ramp requires reconstruction of the entrance from UST's South campus to the intersection of Cretin and Grand Avenues. UST still needs access to many buildings on the South campus, including the following: the Frey Science and Engineering Building, McCarthy Athletic Building, Binz Refectory, Loras Administrative Building, the Brady Education Center, and the dormatories of Cretin and Grace.

How does one get access with the Cretin/Grand entrace closed? The only other way in: through the Saint Paul Seminary parking lot.

The increased traffic flow does give the seminary some exposure; one passing motorist indicated that she did not even realize there was a seminary here. However, for the most part, the situation has meant a large number of drivers speeding (seriously) through our narrow parking lot. The UST Physical Plant has placed small speed bumps in our lot in an attempt to slow the increased traffic - a gesture for which we are grateful.

If you're planning to visit the Saint Paul Seminary in the next thirty days, we are more than happy to have you and offer this one, small request: please drive slowly and defensively in our parking lot.

Take care, -Jeremy