A new student parking lot is in the works to rectify the loss of student parking lot 83 on Park Avenue that will come with the construction of the Dickinson School of Law.

At yesterday's State College Borough Planning Commission meeting, members discussed the creation of a 607-space student parking lot, which will replace the soon-to-be demolished Graduate Circle apartments.

Project managers Richard Manning and Larry Bair made a presentation to the Planning Commission regarding the demolition of the Graduate Circle housing.

The housing, located on the corner of Hastings Road and University Drive, is being demolished to create new

parking spaces that will make up for spaces lost in lot 83 after the construction of the Dickinson School of Law, Manning said.

He said that in total, the university is losing 1,200 student parking spaces because of the construction of Dickinson.

Manning and Bair said construction on the new parking lot would begin this summer and would be completed and ready for student use by fall.

He added that to make up for this loss of student parking, 600 spaces would also be created in an upcoming project in College Township, of which details have not yet been specified.

Planning Commission member Elizabeth Toepfer said she was curious about why a decision had been made to create one large, flat parking area rather than building a parking garage that might provide even more parking spaces. She also expressed concern over any possible impacts on traffic that might be created by the new parking lot.

Manning said the number of students coming and going from the parking lot would be relatively low, given the lot would be used mainly by students storing their cars for the semester. He added the lot would most likely only be busy on weekends and at the end of each term when students needed to drive home.

"The traffic impact will be insubstantial," he said.

Manning also said more lighting would be installed in the new parking lot and that a new bus stop would be created to give students easier access to the lot.

"All of the lighting in the parking area will be done to Penn State's standards," he said. "A new bus stop will be located along Hastings Road to promote transportation to the dorms."

Manning and Bair said the new parking lot was planned to accommodate a potential future student housing project on the site that is currently on "indefinite hold."