Authorities Discuss Plan For Multi-Story Garage

The University has begun preliminary discussions with the Gulf Oil Company about construction of a large, multi-level parking garage across from the Union at Quincy Square, the present site of a Gulf service station.

The new garage might accommodate up to 380 cars and cost approximately $2,000 per car, not including the cost of the land, according to Harold L. Goyette of the Office of Planning. Goyette said that a figure of $700,000 to $800,000 was "reasonable."

Although the Planning Office has prepared several rough sketches and a model, talks with Gulf are still in a tentative stage. "The company would like to be sensitive to the demands of Harvard Square and is not basically opposed," Goyette noted.

Four Stories

The proposed structure would fit into the University's overall parking scheme and would probably house cars of employees, staff, and faculty, as well as students. Perhaps a four-story ramp garage with parking both on the roof and below ground, it would probably include service station facilities on the ground floor run by the present operators.

Neither the University nor Gulf has contacted John H. Steadman or K. F. Lacoss, who now lease the Quincy Square station. Steadman told the CRIMSON last night that such a garage "might help business." The present service station has parking for approximately 30 cars at 50 cents per night.

Zoning Regulations

Steadman said that a similar project was discussed about three years ago but had been dropped because of zoning conflicts. However, a four-story structure would probably meet no opposition with regard to height.

The proposed garage is one of several long-range University projects designed to alleviate the parking and traffic situation in and around the Square.