Nearly five years into Florida Atlantic University’s 2021 Boca Raton Campus Master Plan, the university still has no official development plans set in stone for three proposed new parking garages to address long-term enrollment growth.
An FAU spokesperson told the University Press that although the university is not currently developing a new parking garage, a 2018 consultant study identified the area west of Parking Garage 3 as the optimal location after analyzing traffic patterns and parking needs. The proposed Parking Garage 4, located near Tortuga Trail, is listed as a five-year priority and has raised concerns about wildlife conservation. Another site, Parking Garage 5, appears adjacent to Parking Garage 1, north of the Student Union, on a 10-year timeline. The master plan estimates that each garage would add about 1,000 parking spaces.
FAU projects its Boca Raton campus will grow from 11,791 to 13,033 parking spaces between 2018 and 2028, according to the master plan, which outlines tentative development plans through 2030. A spokesperson from FAU Parking and Transportation told the University Press in August that a parking study completed earlier this year showed that only 60% of the parking spaces were being used on campus.
Another possible garage site slated in the southeast section of campus is near Talon Hall, the new dorm under construction, set to open in fall 2026. The project is listed as being further out than 10 years. This site, labeled Parking Deck 6, would be located outside the Culture and Society Building and could be connected to potential new student residence halls, which are also part of the master plan.
The surrounding area is also marked on the master plan for a mixed-use development featuring a hotel, restaurant, and retail space, which officials have referred to as Owl Village, located across from Talon Hall; however, no plans have been finalized. When officials hinted at the Owl Village project at an Oct. 7 Board of Trustees meeting, FAU Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Stacy Volnick made the point that projects listed in the master plan require an intensive planning and approval process before development can take place.
Marina Henry-Arpe, a 2006 FAU alumna with a bachelor’s degree in real estate, said the market in Palm Beach County is “booming” and that development will continue to rise. She said the university has grown tremendously since she was a student, but parking was a problem even back then. Boca Raton is one of FAU’s most heavily trafficked campuses, with more than 70% of the university’s 29,000 students taking classes there, according to the school’s website.
In a 2023 University Press report, some students expressed concerns about the impact on wildlife if a parking garage is built on the Boca Raton campus’ nature preserve. The trail west of the Flagler Credit Union Stadium is home to dozens of gopher tortoises. However, the area outlined for Parking Garage 4 in the master plan falls outside the boundaries marked as conservation areas, according to FAU’s 2024 Habitat Management Plan. It is unclear if any tortoise burrows would be affected if the construction occurs.
“I just don’t think that reflects well on an educational institution when there are many ways to build different types of buildings,” Henry-Arpe said, referring to disturbing wildlife on campus, especially gopher tortoises and burrowing owls. She referred to the university’s recent securing of a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to “harass” burrowing owls in an attempt to clear land for the construction of Talon Hall, which began earlier this year.
The master plan proposes a “conservation land swap” for the proposed parking structure near Tortuga Trail, relocating protected land north of the softball stadium and Parking Lot 12 to provide larger acreage and support increased wildlife habitat. Student Body President Darsham Gonzalez said that the limited available space makes it challenging to add more dorms and parking as demand increases.
“While none of these plans are set in stone, I trust the administration will take the proper precautions,” Gonzalez stated in a message to the University Press, adding that the university continues to evaluate the environmental impacts of future development as FAU grows.
