Campus Parking and Construction Update- August 2022

Dear UM Community,

In a few weeks our students and faculty will return to campus for the fall semester. I write today with an important update on the final phase of the redesign of parking lot P at the northwest corner of main campus as well as general information on the status of all of our major construction projects.

Parking Lot P

To complete the redesign of the west portion of Lot P, we will close the lot to all parking from Wednesday, Aug. 10, through Sunday, Aug. 21. We also will close the small segment of parking on South 6th Street from the intersection with Maurice Avenue toward the Adams Center. The area will reopen Monday, Aug. 22, with redesigned access and traffic flow. We apologize for the inconvenience. These closures are necessary to ensure the lot is open by Monday, Aug. 22.

The image above depicts the redesigned parking lot. Note the pink shaded area is a long-term closure expected to remain through September 2023. The yellow areas will be open on Monday, Aug. 22. Traffic flow in Lot P has been redesigned so please observe new signs that will direct you into the lot from South 6th Street and exit onto South 5th Street. 

Map showing closures and timeline for Lot P

The yellow shaded area in front of the Adams Center has been reconfigured as a bike/pedestrian corridor, connecting Memorial Row to the footbridge. A small portion on Lot Z, north of the Adams Center, will be temporarily closed, but will reopen Monday, Aug. 22. Both Lots P and Z are for decal and/or day pass parking. As you can see from the image, the majority of parking spaces in Lot P have been recovered, with more coming online with completion of the new Montana Museum of Arts and Culture building next year.

Montana Museum of Art and Culture

Construction on the new MMAC building will continue through September 2023. Please be mindful of construction fencing, vehicles and equipment within the fenced perimeter, and periods of increased traffic associated with construction.

Memorial Row

Memorial Row will be accessible for bike and pedestrian traffic on Monday, Aug. 22. However, the landscaping and some of the features such as benches, planters and tables will not be fully complete until summer 2023.

Dining Facility

Site prep for the footprint of the new dining facility is nearly complete, with construction of the facility beginning in earnest very soon. The construction perimeter (fenced area) will be revised shortly after the start of fall semester to encompass the parking lot south of the Lommasson Center. Sidewalks around the fenced perimeter will remain open. Access to the parking lot behind Lommasson (between Lommasson and Miller/Duniway) will be controlled by the contractor. No parking will be available in this lot. 

Lommasson Center

The east end of the Lommasson Center was demolished to make room for the new dining facility, and the services formally housed in the building were relocated to Aber Hall. UM Dining, Food Zoo and Rise+Rooted all remain open in Lommasson, along with Human Resource Services and some of the functions of business services. The current footprint of Lommasson will remain at least until completion of the new dining facility.

Knowles Hall

Knowles Hall is offline for the 2022-23 academic year to undergo an exciting renovation. This does impact a small amount of parking space in Lot J, though we are working to minimize it to the greatest extent possible. Knowles Hall will welcome residents in August 2023.

Combined Heat & Power Plant

The CHP project is scheduled for completion in early 2023. The upgraded plant will maintain and improve the steam production and allow the University to generate the electrical power for its on-campus users. The new CHP will also save UM $1.5 to $2 million annually in reduced energy expenses. These savings will be directly invested back into student-facing infrastructure such as new classrooms and upgraded labs.

We’ve made great progress this summer and excitement is building as we see these projects progressing. My thanks to our Facilities Services Team, our many project partners and our campus community for your patience and collaboration on all aspects of this exciting work.

If you have any questions or concerns about campus construction, please contact our team via email at campusconstruction@mso.umt.edu

Paula Short
Associate Vice President
Campus Operations, Preparedness and Response