Students parking in the Olive Garage may notice a few less empty spaces-500 to be exact.

Following a trend begun last summer and continued this summer, Saint Louis University is leasing up to 500 parking spaces in the Olive Garage to A.G. Edwards, an investment firm.

According to Ann Benson, manager of Parking and Card Services, there are 2,100 parking spaces in the Olive garage with 149 reserved for permit holders.

While their new garage is under construction, A.G. Edwards requested spaces from several neighboring parking facilities, including SLU and Sigma Aldrich, a chemical manufacturing company.

The A.G. Edwards garage construction was delayed due to the St. Louis concrete drivers’ strike and is expected to be completed in February 2001.

Shuttles run from the east corner of the garage to A. G. Edwards. This encourages employees to park as far from SLU’s campus as possible.

“These sections were all empty last year,” said Director of Service Operations Chris Regan.

Parking in Olive garage, aside from reserved spaces, is on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We have monitored the parking in the Olive garage on a daily basis and this garage still had over 150-200 spaces available during peak times,” Benson said.

A.G. Edwards employees are paying more for the parking spaces than SLU students.

“The money raised from parking goes back into parking,” Regan explained.

Parking and Card Services has not received complaints on this matter from students.

General parking permits are sold to all faculty, staff and students requiring general parking, according to Benson.

“Please realize that this population is not here on campus at one time, since there are many students who attend class mornings only, afternoons only, early afternoons only or evenings only,” Benson added.

She assured students that Parking and Card Services’ staff “keeps a watchful eye to monitor the availability of parking spaces in the general parking areas.”

“We have not experienced a day when these garages have reached full capacity,” Regan said.

In past years, snow removal has caused certain parts of lots to be closed. This year, a new snow removal plan is in place to keep parking lots open, according to Regan.

She also explained that Parking and Card Services puts SLU students first. She highlighted a lot of little decisions in which outside groups would like to utilize parking lots on campus, but SLU has declined in the best interest of students.

Chris Grabau, Commuter Student Association advisor, said, “As long as they don’t inconvenience the commuter population, it is OK.”

Student Government President Jay Perry considers the largest issue in this matter being the lack of communication.

“So long as all members of the SLU community who pay to park there receive the services they expect, I do not think the situation will prove to be too disturbing,” Perry said.

He added, “However, again, this should have been better communicated to the community before the decision or offer was made to A.G. Edwards.”