The Department of Public Safety has big plans to use big money in the next two years.

DPS Program Coordinator Doug Houghton said many projects are being considered for the 1997 and 1998 fiscal years.

After some research is done, Houghton hopes to make about a half million dollars’ worth of improvements on campus that will be beneficial to both students and faculty.

“The Administrative Services Building is the largest single project this year,” he said. “We were originally going to have a larger lot, but we had to scale down due to some drainage problems in the area.”

Houghton said correcting the drainage problem would be too costly, so the lot will not be as large as originally planned. However, construction of the lot will create approximately 160 parking spots on central campus, which could mean some important things for students and faculty.

“There are two or three options that we have looked at so far,” Houghton said.

Options mentioned include selling the open spaces to faculty members who wish to buy them, relocating cars to create more parking at Alumni Hall and Morrill Hall and creating more metered parking.

“GSB and others have recommended that we create meter parking, primarily for students, that would allow them to run into buildings to drop off papers or check test scores and those types of things,” he said.

Houghton said these meters would be located in lots around the perimeter of campus, not on the streets of central campus.

Another major project that may be completed is the “Beach Bottoms” project behind the football stadium.

“I just call it that because it’s easy for me to remember,” Houghton said.

The project would call for the construction of grass lots in the university-owned corn fields by Elwood Drive across from Cyclone Stadium.

“They turned the field on the east side of the stadium into a practice field, and now they are going to do the same with the west side,” Houghton said. “This eliminates a lot of parking at the stadium.”

Houghton said charging three dollars for parking in those areas has made the university money over the past several years, and it is hoped that the new field would provide not only additional parking, but also additional revenue for the DPS.

He said creating the grass lots would cost about $15,000.

Resurfacing Lot 25 between Gilman and Davidson halls is another project that is being considered, but Houghton said DPS may consider rebuilding the lot.

He said resurfacing the lot will cost about $18,000, but if the lot is rebuilt, the cost will be considerably higher.

In addition, DPS may spend $60,000 for computer upgrades, including creating a computerized system of ticketing, which Houghton said will save money and energy in the long run.

Houghton also said removing the gate in front of the Memorial Union and doing some repair on that part of the road are other anticipated projects.

“The master plan calls for that drive to be part of the main campus entrance, and it doesn’t make much sense to have that,” he said.

He estimated the cost of the gate removal to be $5,000.

Finally, another improvement involves the bicycle system on campus, which Houghton feels is a project requiring a great deal of research prior to action.

“First, we need to update the master plan for bicycles,” Houghton said. He said the plan has not been updated for five or six years.

Houghton said people who have an interest in the area will attend meetings with DPS officers so various opinions can be heard.

Houghton said most of the projects will soon be completed.

“I think with the exception of the grass fields, all the other projects will happen,” he said.

Research and planning will provide for successful projects, and Houghton said he feels that people will be happy with the improvements.

“I would assume, without knowing for sure, that there will be new facilities as far as parking and bicycles,” Houghton said.