A 2,063-space facility just south of University Hall was ready for use by the time classes started on Monday, Aug. 29. Its opening produces a net parking increase for the campus of about 1,350 spaces.            

CSUN President Jolene Koester and Mo Qayoumi, vice president for administration and finance and CFO, will welcome faculty, staff and students to the official grand opening at 11 a.m at the structure's entrance on Prairie Street and Etiwanda Avenue/West University Drive.

            Leading the ribbon-cutting for the structure--most of whose spaces are dedicated for student use--will be Associated Students President Chad Charton and Vice President Safa Sajadi.

            "The addition of new parking spaces means a lot to our students," Qayoumi said. "We've been working hard to make access to a CSUN education as convenient as possible for them."

            ARB Construction began work on the $18 million project, named the B3 Parking Structure, on March 1, 2004. The bulk of its 2,000-plus spaces are for students, but the facility also offers 160 spaces for employees and 53 for campus users with disabilities.

            An additional 165 spaces are available in the adjacent uncovered parking lot, 159 of them for students and six designated for disabled users.

            The new structure, whose two elevators are aligned with Sierra Walk on its east side, has five levels on its north side and six on the south. It also features five stairways, a "pleasant" palette of exterior colors, fluorescent lighting and fresh landscaping.

            As the university does not receive state funds to provide surface parking or parking structure improvements, funding for the project came from parking permit revenues from students and specified campus employee groups, under increased rates that took effect in 2001.