Parking Garage (West)

The medical center is an urban facility located in the Medical District east of downtown Memphis. Spaces were being leased offsite for staff to provide more patient and visitor spaces on campus. Public transportation is limited to buses and a light rail operated by the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). Bus routes are mostly limited to the city limits with financial problems leading to decreases in service. The light rail system is limited with a downtown loop and a single rail that extends only a few miles east into the city. Surface and garage parking choices within walking distance of the hospital are limited. A majority of the spaces are not available for general parking. The VA property is landlocked with major streets or interstate on all sides. All surrounding properties are developed. The medical center property is fully built-out with surface parking occupying most of the available land. 350 parking spaces are already leased at a parking garage a half mile from the medical center to help alleviate the shortage. Employee parking spaces were displaced from on campus in order to provide more parking spaces for patients and visitors.  

The new parking garage—which included general construction, alterations, updated roads, walks, grading, drainage, utility systems, new elevators, and an additional 323 parking bays—was paramount in mitigating the VA’s parking shortage and off-site expenses.