Currently there is construction on Stadium Parkway, the road that connects Kenwood Parkway and Dunwoody Blvd. The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board is increasing the capacity of the Parade Stadium parking lot for events and thus changing the position of Stadium Parkway.

This will lead to a few repercussions for Blake students. First, Stadium Parkway will be closed, so to get to school they will either have to go around using Hennepin Ave or enter from the Kenwood neighborhood, via Kenwood Parkway. Students will have to take these routes to get to school until the Parks and Recreation Board finishes construction, which should be sometime in the middle to end of this November. Second, the senior parking lot will be totally eliminated, as the new Stadium Parkway will run where the parking lot currently is. So all students, including seniors, will have to park in the Sculpture Garden (Junior) lot, which will eliminate what some see as a sacred senior privilege, even though there are more then enough spots (460 spots) in the Junior lot for everyone.

When Stadium Parkway is completed it will be much smoother and lack the treacherous potholes that currently afflict it. Also, the light at Kenwood Blvd will run for a full minute or longer at dismissal time, which is considerably longer than the 30 seconds it currently runs. So hopefully this should relieve the getting-out-of-school traffic jam.

The system for buying parking passes is unchanged. Students, however, should not park in the Parade lot currently, or even once it’s done, as their car will be towed. Lastly, looking further into the future, according to Security Director “Safari” Steve Haughs there are plans in place to redo the Junior parking lot next summer and fix its drainage problems and potholes.