Work begins on new parking garage 

The new garage, shown in this conceptual rendering, will be on the corner of Plantation Street and Arboretum Way and is scheduled for completion in late 2012.

Site preparation began on Aug. 9 for construction of a new parking garage at the corner of Plantation Street and Arboretum Way to accommodate the parking demands of the Albert Sherman Center and the Medical School campus.

“This is an important element of the Albert Sherman Center program, and it will also have an impact across the campus because the garage isn’t only for people who will work or study in the new building,” said John Baker, associate vice chancellor of facilities management, who is overseeing the ASC project. “The new garage will also allow many of those who now park off campus in the shuttle programs to move forward on waiting lists for campus and new garage parking locations.”

The design for the site and building includes special measures to protect the wetlands to the west, as well as upgrading the traffic control system at the intersection of Plantation Street and Arboretum Way.

The new garage will accommodate approximately 1,440 cars; it will be seven stories tall, although given the slope of the site only five stories will be visible when viewed from Plantation Street.

When the new garage opens, there will be regular shuttle service to and from the main campus. For those who prefer to walk, the garage site is approximately a quarter of a mile from the campus, or about a five- to six-minute walk.

In July, UMMS hosted an information session for neighbors who live near the garage site to brief them on the plans and take any questions. About two dozen people attended, and listened to a presentation by the project architect and the construction management team.

The James W. Flett Company of Belmont has been selected by Suffolk Construction, the construction manager of the ASC project, to handle excavation and site work for the garage. Mobilization begins this week with the installation of fences, erosion control barriers and initial surveying of the site to prepare for construction. The garage is scheduled to open by the end of 2012.

For additional information about the Albert Sherman Center, visit www.umassmed.edu/shermancenter