The dust continues to settle on construction projects and parking preparations as ACU looks to open its campus to alumni and friends Friday-Sunday.
Purple notices could be found on almost every car parked on Campus Court from East North 16th Street to the Coliseum parking lot behind Edwards Hall by Wednesday afternoon warning drivers to steer clear of the street come Saturday morning for the Homecoming Parade.
ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said even with construction obstructing a few parking spaces, the department isn’t expecting any complication with parking for this Homecoming Week.
“There’s not any particular problem we’re expecting,” he said. “We always have parking woes.”
Additionally, the students parked in front of Gardner, Nelson and McDonald Hall will either have to move their cars of be willing to leave them in those spaces until after the parade has been cleared and the streets reopened sometime Saturday afternoon.
Ellison said the officers are preparing to see about 10,000 participants in the Homecoming festivities. To better handle the numbers, he said two to three extra officers will be added to the patrol for each event.
As for construction, Kevin Roberts said although it may look close, the Onstead-Packer Science Building won’t be complete for alumni and students to tour come Friday.
“In some ways, it’s maddening because it’s so close,” Roberts, chief information officer, said.
In the meantime, the gates around construction will be locked tight to insure everyone’s safety.
“It’s inconvenient at times, but we recognize that,” he said. “We just want to make sure our guests are excited about this.”
