Plans to double parking at Midwestern University by adding two levels to a three-level parking deck and building a second five-level deck got the Downers Grove Village Council’s okay Tuesday, June 8.

The council voted 4-2 in favor of the plan.

The existing parking deck at the 105-acre campus, which is located on 31st Street, can fit about 993 vehicles. The planned additions would bring parking capacity to about 1,989.

Kathleen Goeppinger, Midwestern University president and chief executive officer, told the council that Midwestern is adding a dental school. The additional spaces are needed for students and faculty and for visitors who come to campus for special events, she said. Currently, she said, the school has about 2,100 full-time students.

“Over the past 15 years, I’ve come before you a good number of times asking for your support to help us grow Midwestern. We’ve taken this campus in 15 years from kind of a rundown, non-landscaped entity to a campus I think is absolutely beautiful and really meets the needs of this community,” said 
Goeppinger “We attract students from all over the country who come to Downers Grove because of this university. I also believe that we are a huge economic engine for Downers Grove.”

Commissioner Marilyn Schnell and Commissioner Bruce Beckman cast the two votes against the project.

“One of the things that seriously concerns me about this proposal is the 28 percent variation. I’m concerned that if indeed this is granted, that it could in the future come back to haunt us with another project,” said Schnell.

Schnell said the size of the proposed expansion does not appear to be warranted by the university’s everyday needs, on days when there are no special events drawing visitors to campus.

“In general, your parking study has said that you were roughly 250 parking places short. I have to go by the study that you, indeed, paid for. To put in an additional 700 seems to be, yes, planning for the future, but allowing a rather large structure in a very condensed space. I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Schnell said.

“On Sunday, I had an opportunity to drive to your campus,” Beckman said. “From my perspective, it would overwhelm the facility and it appeared it would be the largest facility on the campus with no vision as to why we’re going to have over 700 additional parking slots other than for the occasional graduation or special event.”

Commissioner Sean Durkin, who voted in favor of the parking deck project, said the university has addressed concerns from neighbors about lighting and landscaping with respect to the parking deck.

Mayor Ron Sandack, along with commissioners Geoff Neustadt and William Waldack, also voiced support for the plan.

“This is the kind of building, the kind of planning and development we want with respect to our corporate, not for profit neighbors,” said Sandack. “No one spoke to us against it. Our plan commission unanimously supported it. The proposal complies with the future land use plan. It meets all special use criteria. In short, I think this is the kind of development we ought to encourage.”