Construction on the $42 million 429,000-square-foot Mill Avenue Parking Structure for Arizona State University in Tempe has been completed. 

The six-level structure is located at 951 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe, east of Mill Avenue between 9th and 10th streets,  a press release explained. 

The new parking structure, a design-build partnership between DFDG Architecture and general contractor McCarthy Building Companies Inc., adds 1,205 parking spaces to the busy area and provides designated valet parking for the Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU, as well as for events at the Nelson Fine Arts Center and Gammage Auditorium.

For several years, work was completed to transform the Block 22/27 portion of the university from a low-density and under-utilized piece of the campus, explained Alexander Kohnen, ASU’s vice president of facilities development and management, in the release. 

“This parking garage will allow members of the university community and visitors alike to take advantage of the new facilities we have created on the Block,” Kohnen stated. 

To enhance the exterior look, the parking structure’s north and south faces feature a vertical metal screen composed of thin blades set at various angles for a distinctive look that is not typical of a parking facility, the release noted. 

Its design allows for increased vehicle traffic flow through the garage’s different levels. During high traffic events, the entrance has a reversable gate arm that allows increased flow upon entry and can be reversed to increase flow after an event for more efficient exiting.

Construction on the related $88 million Mill Avenue Academic and Office Space structure surrounding the garage began in January and is expected to be completed in August 2024. 

The five-story, design-build structure known as the wrap will feature 126,000 square feet of multiple academic, administrative and retail spaces. Its third floor has been designed with an extensive sound isolation system to control external and internal sounds for instrumental practice rooms, group rehearsal and ensemble rooms and recording studio rooms. 

The wrap also has designated spaces for E-sports, research labs, computer labs, filming/photography spaces, office spaces and flex-use areas.    

“Just in time for the busy holiday season, community members and ASU visitors now have an additional parking option to access popular downtown Tempe businesses and ASU amenities,” stated Justin Adams, McCarthy Building Companies project director, in the release. 

Work continues on the wrap, which is anticipated to be completed in time for ASU’s 2024 fall semester.

ASU’s commitment to sustainability is highlighted throughout the new parking structure, including:

• Electric vehicle charging stations on the first and third levels;
• A roof designed to fit a photovoltaic array for electrical power generation;
• Secure indoor bicycle parking with changing rooms to promote alternate modes of transportation;
• The design meets Parksmart certification, a top rating for environmental sustainability;
• Accommodations for underground thermal energy storage for campus cooling; and
• An underground stormwater tank was built to capture a potential of 50,000 gallons of stormwater from the entire block including future developments.