HCC expansion project opens at West Loop Campus

Apr 26, 2016

If you've driven through the Galleria area recently, you've seen the construction cranes hoisting up beam after beam to create new buildings along the 610 West Loop. The Houston Community College West Loop Campus is among those locations growing vertically, with a new five-level parking garage now open on the north side of the campus.

"This much-needed parking garage is a 215,000 square-foot addition to the campus and it will offer a 63-percent increase in parking capacity," HCC Southwest President Dr. Madeline Burillo said. "This will allow the West Loop Campus to expand courses offered and give students more convenient class hours. It's a win-win."

HCC services roughly 38,000 students a day across the system. The West Loop Campus location is among the largest, with enrollment this semester topping out at just over 11,000 students. With the high volume of students coming and going, the additional 657 parking spaces will be put to use as soon as the finishing touches are complete on the $18 million-dollar project.

“This new parking garage will help make it more convenient for everyone,” HCC Southwest Student Government President Charles Tolden said. “The students won't have to drive up and down rows hunting for a parking space, and instructors will be glad to see us make it to class on time.”

When students are not in class, they'll be able to gather in a new 21,000 square-foot campus plaza with landscaped planting areas. Protective covered structures and plenty of seating will be coming soon to campus. The plaza will also offer a venue for campus and community events.

The new parking garage and campus plaza additions are one of 14 under the $425 million dollar HCC Groundbreaker bond project.

To learn more about programs offered at the HCC West Loop Campus, go to hccs.edu/programs.