For release: April 8, 2011
For press information, contact Curt Guenther, 901-678-2843

The University of Memphis will begin renovating its Central Avenue parking lot next month, in the first phase of the Central Avenue Safety Project.  An information session for the general public will be held on Thursday, April 14, at 6 p.m. in the University Center’s Fountain View Room.

Free parking will be available in the Zach Curlin parking garage, which is near the east door of the University Center.

Future improvements to the portion of Central Avenue that runs along the northern edge of the U of M campus will include installation of a center median with low-level landscaping, and the addition of bike lanes on both the north and south sides of the street. A four-way intersection at Central Avenue and Zach Curlin will also be added.

Tony Poteet, assistant vice president for campus planning and design, said the project will also provide a responsive design for a walkable and bikeable community and maintain an open, connected campus edge that is integrated into the neighborhood.

“However, the main goal of the project is to protect the safety of students and other pedestrians crossing Central,” Poteet said.