By Meghan Cunningham


The University of Toledo is accelerating plans to replace the two parking garages on Main Campus with surface paved lots out of an abundance of caution.

The East Ramp and West Ramp Parking Garages were intended to be torn down next year aligned with an update to the University’s parking system. But in response to the national conversation about the safety of concrete structures following the tragedy of the Surfside condominium collapse in Miami and recent inspections of the structures during annual repairs, the University has decided to demolish the campus parking garages this summer.

“The degradation of the garages is continuing at an expedited pace compared to what we’ve seen in recent years and for the safety of our campus community, we needed to move up our timeline to take them down,” said Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration. “Despite our best efforts to extend the structural integrity of the garages, they have reached the end of their useful life.”

As with all parking garages, damage from de-icing salts, snow plowing, winter freeze and thaw cycles, and exposure to sun and water impact the lifespan of the structures, Toth explained. The garages were built in 1976.

(07-06-2021 07:44 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  By Meghan Cunningham


The University of Toledo is accelerating plans to replace the two parking garages on Main Campus with surface paved lots out of an abundance of caution.

The East Ramp and West Ramp Parking Garages were intended to be torn down next year aligned with an update to the University’s parking system. But in response to the national conversation about the safety of concrete structures following the tragedy of the Surfside condominium collapse in Miami and recent inspections of the structures during annual repairs, the University has decided to demolish the campus parking garages this summer.

“The degradation of the garages is continuing at an expedited pace compared to what we’ve seen in recent years and for the safety of our campus community, we needed to move up our timeline to take them down,” said Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration. “Despite our best efforts to extend the structural integrity of the garages, they have reached the end of their useful life.”

As with all parking garages, damage from de-icing salts, snow plowing, winter freeze and thaw cycles, and exposure to sun and water impact the lifespan of the structures, Toth explained. The garages were built in 1976.

and whoever wrote it and approved its release will probably never understand exactly how stupid it was to include that part I boldfaced. SMH. All that's relevant is life cycle and maintenance. If even a small smidge of the decision or the timing had to do with what happened over a 1000 miles away, there's no hope.

I'll try to get in one more drive to the top in hopes of finding an open space that isn't there. To remind of good-ol days.

Interesting... will we have enough spaces? Evidently we will. It will look better... a little less like a commuter campus. That’s gods IMHO.

Go Rockets!

(07-06-2021 10:06 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 07:44 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  By Meghan Cunningham


The University of Toledo is accelerating plans to replace the two parking garages on Main Campus with surface paved lots out of an abundance of caution.

The East Ramp and West Ramp Parking Garages were intended to be torn down next year aligned with an update to the University’s parking system. But in response to the national conversation about the safety of concrete structures following the tragedy of the Surfside condominium collapse in Miami and recent inspections of the structures during annual repairs, the University has decided to demolish the campus parking garages this summer.

“The degradation of the garages is continuing at an expedited pace compared to what we’ve seen in recent years and for the safety of our campus community, we needed to move up our timeline to take them down,” said Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration. “Despite our best efforts to extend the structural integrity of the garages, they have reached the end of their useful life.”

As with all parking garages, damage from de-icing salts, snow plowing, winter freeze and thaw cycles, and exposure to sun and water impact the lifespan of the structures, Toth explained. The garages were built in 1976.

and whoever wrote it and approved its release will probably never understand exactly how stupid it was to include that part I boldfaced. SMH. All that's relevant is life cycle and maintenance. If even a small smidge of the decision or the timing had to do with what happened over a 1000 miles away, there's no hope.

I'll try to get in one more drive to the top in hopes of finding an open space that isn't there. To remind of good-ol days.

There has been discussions for several years about the expensive annual maintenance needed for the parking garages and intent to remove them. Now that UT is turning parking services over to an outside vendor seems like decision was made to take them down instead of spending more money this summer to maintain. With enrollment down about 20% in last decade, parking issues are not as significant as they once were.

(07-06-2021 10:33 AM)PaulJ Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 10:06 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 07:44 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  By Meghan Cunningham


The University of Toledo is accelerating plans to replace the two parking garages on Main Campus with surface paved lots out of an abundance of caution.

The East Ramp and West Ramp Parking Garages were intended to be torn down next year aligned with an update to the University’s parking system. But in response to the national conversation about the safety of concrete structures following the tragedy of the Surfside condominium collapse in Miami and recent inspections of the structures during annual repairs, the University has decided to demolish the campus parking garages this summer.

“The degradation of the garages is continuing at an expedited pace compared to what we’ve seen in recent years and for the safety of our campus community, we needed to move up our timeline to take them down,” said Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration. “Despite our best efforts to extend the structural integrity of the garages, they have reached the end of their useful life.”

As with all parking garages, damage from de-icing salts, snow plowing, winter freeze and thaw cycles, and exposure to sun and water impact the lifespan of the structures, Toth explained. The garages were built in 1976.

and whoever wrote it and approved its release will probably never understand exactly how stupid it was to include that part I boldfaced. SMH. All that's relevant is life cycle and maintenance. If even a small smidge of the decision or the timing had to do with what happened over a 1000 miles away, there's no hope.

I'll try to get in one more drive to the top in hopes of finding an open space that isn't there. To remind of good-ol days.

There has been discussions for several years about the expensive annual maintenance needed for the parking garages and intent to remove them. Now that UT is turning parking services over to an outside vendor seems like decision was made to take them down instead of spending more money this summer to maintain. With enrollment down about 20% in last decade, parking issues are not as significant as they once were.

There has always been plenty of parking. Students didn't want to walk 5 or 10 minutes. Have a friend who paid $700 per year for a parking pass at Arizona State.

(07-06-2021 01:20 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 10:33 AM)PaulJ Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 10:06 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 07:44 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  By Meghan Cunningham


The University of Toledo is accelerating plans to replace the two parking garages on Main Campus with surface paved lots out of an abundance of caution.

The East Ramp and West Ramp Parking Garages were intended to be torn down next year aligned with an update to the University’s parking system. But in response to the national conversation about the safety of concrete structures following the tragedy of the Surfside condominium collapse in Miami and recent inspections of the structures during annual repairs, the University has decided to demolish the campus parking garages this summer.

“The degradation of the garages is continuing at an expedited pace compared to what we’ve seen in recent years and for the safety of our campus community, we needed to move up our timeline to take them down,” said Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration. “Despite our best efforts to extend the structural integrity of the garages, they have reached the end of their useful life.”

As with all parking garages, damage from de-icing salts, snow plowing, winter freeze and thaw cycles, and exposure to sun and water impact the lifespan of the structures, Toth explained. The garages were built in 1976.

and whoever wrote it and approved its release will probably never understand exactly how stupid it was to include that part I boldfaced. SMH. All that's relevant is life cycle and maintenance. If even a small smidge of the decision or the timing had to do with what happened over a 1000 miles away, there's no hope.

I'll try to get in one more drive to the top in hopes of finding an open space that isn't there. To remind of good-ol days.

There has been discussions for several years about the expensive annual maintenance needed for the parking garages and intent to remove them. Now that UT is turning parking services over to an outside vendor seems like decision was made to take them down instead of spending more money this summer to maintain. With enrollment down about 20% in last decade, parking issues are not as significant as they once were.

There has always been plenty of parking. Students didn't want to walk 5 or 10 minutes. Have a friend who paid $700 per year for a parking pass at Arizona State.

Yep, attended or worked at several colleges, and always paid more that what UT has been charging and often for lots even further away from buildings I needed to go to. Parking at UT is not perfect but as fewer people work at or go to school at UT there simply is not the need to spend tons of $$$$ maintaining parking garage structures that are also very expensive to replace (and these two have long outlived their intended life span)

Love how the Port Authority is now involved so that they can launder county tax dollars into the university. If parking fees were raised to equate with the costs of maintaining the system then the cost of maintaining the facilities would be built in. All of this can be done within the foundation and using the Port Authority is just a waste of tax payer dollars that should be used for job creation which was the purpose of the Port Levy when it was passed.

Glad I don't live in Lucas County anymore.

I concur that there has never been a parking problem at UT, only a walking problem. But eliminating the garages all together is a poor decision. I would suggest the construction of a new garage behind Savage that is connected to Fetterman and Savage that can provide sheltered parking for events in Savage and the cost could be covered with the parking fees collected. Oh yeah we don't collect parking fees for events anymore.

I would think that a garage could be constructed that did not have as much vulnerability to salt. The problem is the valleys within them. If they drained to the perimeter and down you could avoid the structural issues to the interior of the structure.

I suggest that the $40 million in new capital improvements for the university quoted in the daily local are new garages.

I also think it is wrong to be generating $70 million in excess cash with parking fees for mission critical operations while providing less than (surface only) facilities for the students.

If the university was not raising fees for future garage replacements over past years shame on them.

They can 3-D print a parking garage out of weather innured plastic these days. Give it another ten years and it will be a 4-D tesserect the size of a phone booth. Make sure to note; level, spot number and universe before leaving the garage.

Blade: By refinancing its parking operations, the university will get an up-front cash payment of $50 million to be invested through the University of Toledo Foundation, and $10 million for capital improvements, plus another $40 million over the life of the agreement for capital improvements. The university expects to generate about $70 million in excess cash to be used for strategic initiatives and mission-critical operations.

Ohio State and EMU have been doing something similar.

(07-06-2021 07:56 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  Blade: By refinancing its parking operations, the university will get an up-front cash payment of $50 million to be invested through the University of Toledo Foundation, and $10 million for capital improvements, plus another $40 million over the life of the agreement for capital improvements. The university expects to generate about $70 million in excess cash to be used for strategic initiatives and mission-critical operations.

Ohio State and EMU have been doing something similar.

All of which implies there were revenue generating opportunities or efficiencies UT wasn't realizing or they gave something to a friend. This is privatized turnpike all over. What is public and what is private? Is that line coded somewhere? Can we privatize Admin and campus policing too? I'm sure private business could do it better but should the public lose control of public capital like this?

What is the "life" of the agreement and why is any of this filtered though the Foundation? Not that I have anything against Foundation. I do not see how this is within their perview. They are not a state entity. Do they have a piece of the land?

(07-06-2021 02:58 PM)indianasniff Wrote:  I suggest that the $40 million in new capital improvements for the university quoted in the daily local are new garages.

I also think it is wrong to be generating $70 million in excess cash with parking fees for mission critical operations while providing less than (surface only) facilities for the students.

If the university was not raising fees for future garage replacements over past years shame on them.

My understanding is that due to the high cost of maintenance, UT has no plans to build parking garages

(07-06-2021 08:55 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 07:56 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  Blade: By refinancing its parking operations, the university will get an up-front cash payment of $50 million to be invested through the University of Toledo Foundation, and $10 million for capital improvements, plus another $40 million over the life of the agreement for capital improvements. The university expects to generate about $70 million in excess cash to be used for strategic initiatives and mission-critical operations.

Ohio State and EMU have been doing something similar.

All of which implies there were revenue generating opportunities or efficiencies UT wasn't realizing or they gave something to a friend. This is privatized turnpike all over. What is public and what is private? Is that line coded somewhere? Can we privatize Admin and campus policing too? I'm sure private business could do it better but should the public lose control of public capital like this?

What is the "life" of the agreement and why is any of this filtered though the Foundation? Not that I have anything against Foundation. I do not see how this is within their perview. They are not a state entity. Do they have a piece of the land?

Plenty of public colleges (including in Ohio) have privatized parking services-what UT is doing is not unique in that regard. I believe by making the arrangements through UT Foundation, funds can be invested as UT as institution does not invest its cash reserves.

(07-07-2021 09:36 AM)PaulJ Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 08:55 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 07:56 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  Blade: By refinancing its parking operations, the university will get an up-front cash payment of $50 million to be invested through the University of Toledo Foundation, and $10 million for capital improvements, plus another $40 million over the life of the agreement for capital improvements. The university expects to generate about $70 million in excess cash to be used for strategic initiatives and mission-critical operations.

Ohio State and EMU have been doing something similar.

All of which implies there were revenue generating opportunities or efficiencies UT wasn't realizing or they gave something to a friend. This is privatized turnpike all over. What is public and what is private? Is that line coded somewhere? Can we privatize Admin and campus policing too? I'm sure private business could do it better but should the public lose control of public capital like this?

What is the "life" of the agreement and why is any of this filtered though the Foundation? Not that I have anything against Foundation. I do not see how this is within their perview. They are not a state entity. Do they have a piece of the land?

Plenty of public colleges (including in Ohio) have privatized parking services-what UT is doing is not unique in that regard. I believe by making the arrangements through UT Foundation, funds can be invested as UT as institution does not invest its cash reserves.

I wasn't thinking so much that it was unique regards privatizing parking as I was wondering what all parts of University management will eventually be privatized, while still keeping the university public.

Universities seem to be shifting to corporate model, deciding what to do internally vs what to oursource. Then eventually out-sourcing Administation of all those out-sources.

There has always been plenty of parking. ??????????????????

You are kidding right? Parking was horrendous in the nineties.
The engineering lot was a tiny fraction of what it is now.
I was late way too many times just waiting for a spot to open up.

(07-07-2021 02:42 PM)RocketOne Wrote:  There has always been plenty of parking. ??????????????????

You are kidding right? Parking was horrendous in the nineties.
The engineering lot was a tiny fraction of what it is now.
I was late way too many times just waiting for a spot to open up.

Again. Walking problem not a parking problem. I was on that campus in eighties when there was just as much of a problem. Different times of day you park in different places. If you want to park outside your building you wait


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Foundation involvement is fine. Port authority involvement is the red flag for me. They are supposed to be an economic development arm


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(07-07-2021 02:29 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(07-07-2021 09:36 AM)PaulJ Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 08:55 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(07-06-2021 07:56 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  Blade: By refinancing its parking operations, the university will get an up-front cash payment of $50 million to be invested through the University of Toledo Foundation, and $10 million for capital improvements, plus another $40 million over the life of the agreement for capital improvements. The university expects to generate about $70 million in excess cash to be used for strategic initiatives and mission-critical operations.

Ohio State and EMU have been doing something similar.

All of which implies there were revenue generating opportunities or efficiencies UT wasn't realizing or they gave something to a friend. This is privatized turnpike all over. What is public and what is private? Is that line coded somewhere? Can we privatize Admin and campus policing too? I'm sure private business could do it better but should the public lose control of public capital like this?

What is the "life" of the agreement and why is any of this filtered though the Foundation? Not that I have anything against Foundation. I do not see how this is within their perview. They are not a state entity. Do they have a piece of the land?

Plenty of public colleges (including in Ohio) have privatized parking services-what UT is doing is not unique in that regard. I believe by making the arrangements through UT Foundation, funds can be invested as UT as institution does not invest its cash reserves.

I wasn't thinking so much that it was unique regards privatizing parking as I was wondering what all parts of University management will eventually be privatized, while still keeping the university public.

Universities seem to be shifting to corporate model, deciding what to do internally vs what to oursource. Then eventually out-sourcing Administation of all those out-sources.

out-sourcing of admin services is certainly a trend in higher education as seen by some HR functions, parking services, policing, student residences, food services and catering etc.... it may be a disconcerting and alarming trend but with state funding down considerably in last two decades, colleges are forced to turn to other means of generating revenue. Not that I agree with the trend but it is happening and for valid financial reasons.

(07-07-2021 02:42 PM)RocketOne Wrote:  There has always been plenty of parking. ??????????????????

You are kidding right? Parking was horrendous in the nineties.
The engineering lot was a tiny fraction of what it is now.
I was late way too many times just waiting for a spot to open up.

I was not here in the 1990s but always wondered what it must of been like with essentially the same number of parking spots that exist on main campus today, yet in the 1990s UT enrollment plus main campus staffing levels exceeded 22,000++. Today that number is somewhere around 17-18,000 (not accounting for UTMC, just main campus). I can only imagine parking must have been brutle endeavor when most students drove to campus for classes (and there were many fewer than the 3000+ students who live on campus now)

(07-07-2021 03:00 PM)indianasniff Wrote:  Foundation involvement is fine. Port authority involvement is the red flag for me. They are supposed to be an economic development arm


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agreed, I really don't know why the port authority is involved as 3rd party manager of this project and no one I ask seems to know why or they are not saying, perhaps they have financial, legal or tax structure that the UT Foundation does not?????