As construction increases around John Carroll’s campus, more parking spots are being ripped out to make room for new facilities such as the Athletic, Wellness & Event (AWE) Center and JCU Gateway North apartment complex. As a result, the demand for parking on the college’s main campus has increased, making it difficult for many to find a spot.
“The current issues [with parking] are students not parking in proper areas and/or proper lots,” said Christina Dorazio, who is the new coordinator for JCU Parking. “[JCUPD] is ticketing and repeat offenders will be booted.”
“I’m a commuter and paid $350 for my parking permit, which is $100 more than last year, and parking already is significantly worse than it was last year,” a student who wants to remain anonymous told The Carroll News. “I have to leave an extra 45 minutes early from home in case parking is so bad that I can’t find a spot or if I need to park super far away from my classroom. I can’t tell if John Carroll oversold their parking or if the classes I signed up for overlap with a lot of commuters, but I’m very displeased.”
According to Jeffrey Daberko, chief of JCUPD, tickets are actively being handed out for the purpose of encouraging people to comply with parking policies, with the cost of each fine depending on the offense. In addition, each city street citation around University Heights is $75, which became effective on Aug. 27. Drivers are urged to be observant and follow posted parking regulations.
The Pizzazz parking lot is one common area where people will park if they can’t find a spot on the main campus. On a sign that is displayed at the entrance of the Fairmount Circle shopping center, it states that “anyone parking for John Carroll University or any other purpose other than patronage of the shopping center will be towed.” University Heights police enforces parking there and posts violation warnings on offending vehicles.
During the first week of the 2025-2026 academic year, a “lot full” sign was periodically displayed at JCU’s front entrance. It instructs drivers to park in the shuttle lot at the former Notre Dame College, where the shuttle will pick them up and bring them to JCU.
During the academic year, the shuttle runs on a continuous loop from the Rec Plex door on Belvoir Blvd. to Notre Dame College. It operates Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday from noon to 11:00 p.m. Students can track the shuttle’s location with this link.
“If the gatehouse attendant [or] JCUPD officers determine the main lot is full, we will put out signage to advise drivers so they aren’t just circling in the lots,” Daberko told The Carroll News.
Due to [the] loss of the Belvoir Lot to the AWE building, additional construction on campus and the surrounding areas, we have limited space on campus,” said Dorazio.
According to the Office of the Registrar, there are almost 3,000 students currently attending John Carroll University. The Carroll News requested information regarding the commuter population at JCU, but did not receive that statistic.
There are 245 spaces on the main campus lot for commuters, graduate students and residents to park their cars during the day. Between all of the Fairmount Circle parking lots and garages, there are 137 spots. Additional spots on campus are reserved for JCU vans, handicap use, vehicles with a specific permit number and admissions visitors.
This year, the only off-campus parking lot for resident students to keep their vehicles is Notre Dame College, which has 312 spaces. In years past, there were spots at JFX on Green Road, but that building was recently sold and JCU didn’t sign a new contract to lease the parking lot.
“For 2025-2026, there are approximately 642 active faculty [and] staff with parking permits, 110 full-time faculty, 232 part-time faculty and 300 staff,” Dorazio said. “We also have approximately 50 contractor [and] vendor employees parking on campus, [such as] Parkhurst employees working in the dining hall or ABM employees providing janitorial services.”
The Carroll News asked JCU Parking to give a rundown of how many parking permits were purchased. There were 569 commuters who bought permits, along with 173 resident students, 99 graduate students, 224 Notre Dame College permits, 126 Fairmount Circle residents, as well as 30 Ignatian Spirituality Institute passes for the evenings. In addition, 41 graduate assistants have passes and park at JCU for free. These numbers only include “usable” spots that were made available to sell.
“With the construction of the [JCU Gateway North] project proceeding, we lost the old BP lot and its 65 spaces,” Daberko said. “While the lots associated with the library and the [Athletic, Wellness & Event Center] will be mostly faculty/staff, the hope is if staff are parking there, spaces for students will open up elsewhere.”
Daberko continued, “Also, with most first-year students not bringing cars this year, hopefully that will have an impact. As in previous years, parking on the main campus will be tight.”
With the upcoming grand opening of the AWE Center, more parking spots will eventually open up for students and faculty.
Matt Clark, director of recreation, told The Carroll News that the AWE Center is projected to open toward the end of September and the exact date is to be announced. The entire JCU community is invited to attend the dedication event on Sept. 9 at 4:30 p.m.
“[The opening date] will be based on construction completion, approval from the city and our ability to move into the space and train our student employees in a timely manner,” Clark said. “Our number one priority is making sure the facility is as complete as possible and can be opened safely and securely. We want to ensure that it is a great first experience for everyone.”
“I am hopeful as we get into the second week of school, compliance will increase and things will ease up a bit,” Chief Daberko said.
Another anonymous source told The Carroll News, “I love it at JCU even if parking can be almost impossible in the morning.”
