The parking lot behind Mary Couts Burnett Library may be closed as soon as Jan. 2013 to prepare for an expansion to the library next spring, James Lutz, director of library administrative services, said.

Contractors will need to check for pipelines and electrical components under the area before beginning construction, Lutz said.  They plan to break ground in March, he said. 

The library addition, as well as renovations, is an attempt to make this east portion of campus, the Intellectual Commons, more efficient to use for both students and staff, Lutz said.

Michelle Colman, a junior nursing major, said she and other students are already frequently frustrated with the parking situation, and the removal of another lot wouldn't help matters.

“It’s one of the closest lots to a lot of my classes, so it’s annoying that it’s closing,” Colman said.

The newly opened parking lot off of West Lowden Street is meant to compensate for the upcoming loss of parking space.

“[The new lot] was part of helping out the parking problem,” Lutz said. 

Lisa Albert, director of communications, wrote in an email that about 400 parking spaces are available in the new lot. 

With the add-on to the library, 110 parking spaces will be eliminated, Janet Martin, administrative assistant to TCU Police, said. Out of those, four are reserved spaces and 11 are handicap, she said.

Plans for parking garages on campus are also being discussed by administration, Lutz said.  The main concern for potentially building garages boils down to whether or not they can be kept safe, he said.

All of these plans can be seen in sketches of TCU’s Master Plan. The plan was created in 2009 by architecture firm Perkins + Will. Above is a picture of what administration hopes the campus might look like by 2020. Lutz said they are subject to change.