Facility Overview

Located on the lively southern academic quadrant of Central Michigan University (CMU) in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, Lot 56 is a vital on-campus surface parking facility serving university faculty, staff, students, and community visitors. The lot is situated immediately west of the Education and Human Services (EHS) Building and adjacent to the Biosciences Building, Central Drive, and Ottawa Court. Engineered as a level, open-air asphalt parking lot, Lot 56 features clearly marked driving aisles, dedicated accessible stalls, short-term mobile-pay visitor spots, and reserved stalls for campus clinics.

Because Lot 56 is an open-air surface lot without an overhead canopy or low deck ceilings, it provides unobstructed, limitless vertical clearance. This makes the facility exceptionally well-suited for all classes of passenger vehicles, including lifted pickup trucks, full-size SUVs, commercial delivery vehicles, and high-roof conversion or passenger vans. Standard marked stalls comfortably accommodate long-wheelbase pickup trucks and family vehicles alike.

Prime Location & Nearby Attractions

Lot 56 offers an advantageous position on the Central Michigan University main campus, serving several premier academic, research, and event centers:

• Education and Human Services (EHS) Building: Located directly adjacent to the east, home to the College of Education and Human Services, academic classrooms, lecture halls, and departmental administration.
• Center for Community Counseling and Development (CCCD) & Child Development and Learning Lab (CDLL): Situated within the adjacent EHS building, offering clinical child development and mental wellness services to students and Isabella County residents (with designated short-term client and family parking within Lot 56).
• Biosciences Building & Engineering and Technology Building (IET): Located just north and northeast across Central Drive (1–3 minutes on foot), providing convenient parking for STEM students, researchers, and visiting faculty.
• Kelly/Shorts Stadium & Chippewa Champions Center: Situated roughly a half-mile south (an easy 10-minute walk or quick event-day shuttle), making Lot 56 an accessible overflow location during major Mid-American Conference (MAC) Chippewa football home games.
• John G. Kulhavi Events Center & Rose Center / Student Activity Center (SAC): Located about 0.6 miles to the south, hosting CMU gymnastics, wrestling, men's and women's basketball games, commencement ceremonies, and regional concerts.
• Park Library & Bovee University Center: Positioned within a short 5- to 7-minute stroll north through the central campus pedestrian concourses.

Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity

Vehicular ingress and egress to Lot 56 is managed smoothly via Central Drive, easily reached off South Washington Street between Ottawa Court and Ojibway Court. The surrounding secondary campus loop roads facilitate steady traffic movements and minimize bottlenecking during class changeovers and special events. Regional travelers arriving via US-127 can take the US-127 Business Route (South Mission Street) and head west on Broomfield Road or Preston Street directly to Washington Street.

For those relying on local transit, the Isabella County Transportation Commission (I-Ride) runs frequent campus shuttle lines and dial-a-ride public bus services with multiple scheduled stops adjacent to Washington Street and the EHS Building. Paved, lit pedestrian paths connect Lot 56 directly to all neighboring lecture halls, dining areas, and residential complexes.

Facility Amenities & Key Features

• Spacious Surface Parking: Level, well-paved outdoor asphalt surface with wide driving aisles and standard-width parking bays.
• No Height Restrictions: Open-air configuration accommodating oversized vehicles, elevated pickups, and high-top vans.
• Mobile App Payment Integration: Designated rows equipped with CMU mobile-pay signage supported via the Pango app for short-term visitors and guests.
• Designated Clinic & Program Bays: Reserved parking stalls specifically marked for CDLL student drop-offs and CCCD counseling clients.
• ADA Accessible Stalls: Clearly stenciled handicap accessible spaces positioned along the nearest pedestrian ramps leading into the EHS entrance.
• Campus Safety & Lighting: Well-lit overhead floodlighting and immediate coverage under Central Michigan University Police Department patrols and campus emergency call assistance.

Ideal For

• University Faculty & Staff: Permit F holders reporting daily to the EHS, Biosciences, IET, and administrative facilities.
• Clinic & Daycare Visitors: Families and community patrons visiting the CMU Child Development and Learning Lab (CDLL) or Center for Community Counseling and Development (CCCD).
• Academic Guests & Commuters: Visiting scholars, seminar participants, and short-term commuters requiring hourly or daily parking close to mid-campus.
• Chippewa Athletics Fans & Event Visitors: Convenient parking for visitors attending lectures, campus conferences, Bush Theatre performances, or heading south toward athletic games on football Saturdays.

Visitor & Driver Tips

• Observe University Enforcement Rules: University parking permits are strictly enforced across campus Monday through Friday between 2:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Faculty/Staff (Permit F) permits or paid mobile sessions are required during these enforcement windows.
• Mobile Payment: If parking as a visitor without a CMU parking hangtag/virtual permit, park exclusively in the clearly designated mobile-pay rows and pay using the Pango mobile parking app ($1.00 per 30 minutes). Daily guest passes ($5.00/day) can also be purchased through CMU Parking Services online.
• Evenings & Weekends: Standard parking permits are typically not enforced on weekdays between 5:00 PM and 2:00 AM, nor on Saturdays and Sundays (unless a special lot moratorium or major event fee applies).
• Front License Plate Caution: CMU utilizes automated License Plate Recognition (LPR). Michigan drivers backing into stalls must have a valid front license plate or CMU-issued vanity plate facing the driving lane to avoid citations.