PLU has undergone many changes this year, from the removal of Saturday dinners in The Commons to the earlier and segmented closures of Names Fitness Center. Another important change has been the closure of the Tingelstad Parking Lot. The massive gate that stretched out on all four sides provided a safety net for students in areas where car theft is fairly common.
According to Planning Supervisor Rob Jenkins, the reason for the closure was attributed to the lease of the property expiring in 2018. “The private property owners approached PLU about swapping land,” Jenkins said. “The property owner decided not to renew the lease so that area was removed from the boundary of PLU.”
Jenkins followed with statements saying that the area where students used to park, the eastern portion, is owned by private property owners. PLU would receive the western portion that separates the two properties. Jenkins continued and said the plan of the owners is to build a “four to five story apartment building.”
Jenkins also mentioned the apartment will be a private commodity. So, it is possible that it may be available for PLU students to live in but not confirmed. When asked the timetable for construction, Jenkins responded that “the new parking lot has to be constructed before we issue site development permits for the developments of the apartment complex.” In other words, until a replacement Tingelstad Lot is built the construction will not begin.
