The resolution, which advocates for the demolition of the old MSP buildings in favor of constructing a parking garage, was passed by ASMSU’s General Assembly on Nov. 17.

The state of Michigan had rented the property — comprised of 15 buildings across from Breslin Center — from MSU for $1 a year for more than 70 years.

In 2010, the MSP moved from the location on Harrison Road to new headquarters in downtown Lansing, leaving the former site vacant and in need of repairs.

ASMSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources representative Nick Schlatter, who introduced the resolution, said the success of MSU’s sports teams — including men’s football and basketball — is causing an increase of spectators and requires more parking.

The west side of campus where many sports venues are located has fewer parking options for spectators, and some spectators have to park on the streets or in church parking lots, he said.

“(It would) be really nice to have a big parking garage right next to the sports venues to allow people less of a commute to the stadium,” he said, adding he hopes a parking garage could be built within five years.

Campus Planner Steve Troost said the MSP location is “ideal” for perimeter parking.

The Campus Master Plan — a guide for campus construction and expansion — includes a plan for parking in which current on-campus lots will be converted into green space and consolidated into larger commuter lots off-campus. A tentative revision of the plan was presented to the Board of Trustees at its October meeting.

Plans to convert the MSP site into a parking facility are not specifically mentioned in the current draft of the Campus Master Plan, but university facilities are considering it, Troost said.

He said plans for the site still are tentative, but he does not expect many of the MSP buildings to be maintainable. Some facilities likely will be demolished, while others will be altered for safety reasons, he said.

Recent MSU graduate and student teaching intern Katie Cabot said she supports renovating historical structures such as the MSP headquarters unless their maintenance is more trouble than value.

“It would be a positive thing to do without a financial drain on our resources,” she said.

Schlatter said several ideas have been suggested for the site, including transforming it into green space or a parking lot, but a multi-story parking garage will better suit parking needs.

“You’re becoming more efficient for parking and you’re not using a whole lot of land for parking,” Schlatter said.

“I think that fits with the university’s idea of being green.”