More Parking? New Building? Kean Union Expands I Published October 11

By Dominick Ionni

Kean University has expanded the parking  capacity on the Union campus. Yes – you heard that right  MORE PARKING SPACES!

“More than 600 parking spaces were added,” Margaret McCorry, Director of Media Relations at Kean University happily shared with The Tower regarding the new parking deck on Morris Avenue.

 The 600 extra parking spots are located on the newly purchased parking deck on Kean Drive and Elizabethtown Plaza, adjacent to Morris Ave.

“The University is currently developing plans for that building to include office, research and clinical spaces,”  McCorry explained, “The building was primarily office space for a variety of businesses. A formal timeline for the project, including renovations, is under development, she noted.”

Kean Union also purchased Liberty Hall Corporate Center, formally known as Elizabethtown Gas Building, located on Elizabethtown Plaza behind the STEM Building.

 “This is an exciting development for Kean as we expand our research and community health initiatives,” she said. “It will benefit both our students and the community we serve. The additional parking is another asset to this project.”

 Kean Union commuters have been waiting for what seems like a lifetime for more parking spaces to ease the dense and overcrowded parking situation. Still, some Kean students were reluctant to be interviewed exiting the garage when approached, while other students were eager to weigh in on the projects and share their input on how they felt to the Kean student body.

Brianna DeJesus, a senior in Communication Studies with a minor in Philosophy shares, “I was not aware that Kean added more than 600 parking spaces. I’m sure they sent out an email as they do with most campus news, but I think with the large number of incoming freshmen that were accepted, the 600 parking spaces are being overshadowed.”

She continues, “I have not noticed less congestion, I know Kean is still fairly new into the Fall semester but the hope is that students do not drop out and that they do attend classes. I just think there might need to be a new system that accommodates the students already present on campus before accepting incoming students, so that way there are no parking safety issues.”

Another Student, Meghan Richards, a Junior studying Elementary Education shares, “I was aware about the parking deck, but I have not parked there since the semester started. The congestion is still the same, since no one wants to park across the street as most classes are held on the side of the street where the admissions building is.”

Both students were unaware of the newly purchased office building.

DeJesus states, “I think it is nice that there is a new expansion with office space included in the Liberty Hall Corporate Center, so long as it is used in beneficial ways to expand research, archives, and student resources.”

She adds, “humanities is underfunded enough, so to see investments towards it will always be welcome. I think it’s best for students to be proactive in awareness of these changes so we make sure the institution we are attending is doing its absolute best to serve us.”

The walk from the parking deck can be viewed as a great opportunity to take the extra few minutes to walk to class to gather thoughts and add a little exercise into a commute. But students have expressed that the garage is too far from the buildings on the Main Campus.

The walk across Morris Ave may seem tedious, the university transit system is another option to get to class from the parking deck by using the TripShot Rider app that supplies scheduled times and trolley locations.

As Kean continues to expand, the University has also added a new auto charging station to its East Campus.

Check out our new locations:

Liberty Hall Corporate Center- 1085 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083

Newly added parking deck- 1000 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083

---