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MC Parking Garage Open for Business


Mississippi College’s new three-story parking garage is already a hit with faculty, staff and students.

For Anesia McBride, the assistant coach for the Lady Choctaws basketball team, the garage is only a few dribbles away from her hoops office at the A.E. Wood Coliseum.

For hundreds of MC people in the vicinity, the new garage will prove to be a very popular place to leave vehicles during the day or night, she says.

In recent months, Anesia parked in a lot near the School of Nursing.

Construction of the university’s first parking garage began in early May. Featuring spots for 557 vehicles, the facility was built on an existing lot just west of the basketball arena and south of the Robinson-Hale football stadium. Due to its location on an existing lot, the garage produced an extra 366 spaces on the Clinton campus.

That’s welcome news to Mississippi College nursing student Jazmyn Shaw, who’s a commuter. “I like it. It will help as people go to classes,” she said.

At times last year, Jazmyn spent valuable time hunting parking spots on the Clinton campus. As a result, the Phoenix, Arizona native arrived late for a few classes.

Enrolling nearly 5,300 students, Mississippi College has seen a significant uptick in its enrollment the past ten years, and parking spaces on campus were not keeping pace. There were 3,300 students when President Lee Royce arrived as MC’s leader a decade ago.

Due to that growth, MC made “a significant investment” with the parking garage construction, said Steve Stanford, vice president for administration and government affairs.

The garage’s second and third floors opened in mid-August, with construction crews to work a little longer on the first floor.

While the new garage won’t meet all of the university’s parking needs, it’s definitely a step in the right direction, students say.

MC freshman Jared Shannon, 19, of Pascagoula says the parking garage coupled with the new bookstore and science building under construction are three major projects enhancing the beauty of the college. “It adds to the professional look of the campus,” says the Choctaws football player.

The new garage should be packed during Homecoming weekend on October 26-27 and during other special events. It will make parking more convenient for all four home football games this season, including the September 8 opener against Webber International. The garage is equipped with emergency telephones, security cameras, and lighting.