The University of Louisville Foundation recently purchased a 9-acre brownfield site at the end of West Cardinal Boulevard from Chevron USA for the university to use as a parking lot. The foundation paid $1 million for the property.
Most buildings on the property are coming down immediately to make room for parking, said Jason Tomlinson, assistant vice president for finance. The lone exception is a large building with three-foot-thick floors and large columns. An analysis of possible uses for the large building and costs associated with them is under way.
Over the next few months, workers will remove old building remnants, level the property, pave it and add medians, lighting and striping, he said.
That work will be done in accordance with a state-approved corrective action plan that Chevron developed, with the oil company retaining a certain level of responsibility for any environmental clean-up associated with developing the parking lot, Tomlinson added.
The Chevron lot will replace the resident parking that was moved for construction of the new student rec center.
The 73 spaces are being made available now at the request of President James Ramsey and Provost Shirley Willihnganz, Tomlinson said. The spaces required no preparation besides striping because they are on a small section of the property that Chevron used as an entrance and loading dock.
