Finding a parking spot at Hope College is starting to feel like a competitive sport. As the college moves forward with construction for its new Economics and Business Building along 8th Street, and as a campus already squeezed for space, available parking seems to be a far-fetched reality.

Hope College recently released a Parking Capacity Update as of October 20, 2025, for the Holland City Planning Commission.

Let’s take a look at what the college anticipates for the total loss of parking and how it plans to handle it.

Here Are the Numbers

The parking impact is divided, essentially, into two phases.

The first phase of the plan will remove 109 parking spaces due to the construction of the Economics and Business Building.

The second (or future) phase, which will entail greenspace improvements, could eliminate 129 parking spaces.

This contributes to an anticipated reduction of  238 parking spaces.

So What Does This Mean for Students?

There have been past efforts to mitigate the parking problem on campus. But now, with the issue of new construction, there must be new resolutions.

The policy adjustments include:

• Expanding parking permissions that allow students to use lots marked for faculty and staff during the later evenings and on weekends (but this means you must move your car before the morning to avoid taking spots from faculty).
• Those of which reside near the athletic facility, DeVos Fieldhouse, will be able to park in that lot full time (but this adds complications for visitors who attend home athletic events as this is the only available lot for them).
• An increased parking pass fee (which has been upped to $480 for an Annual Resident) deterred 327 fewer students from registering their vehicle to keep on campus.
• A new parking lot on 11th Street, next to the Cook Village Townhomes, is under construction and plans to add nearly 119 new student parking spaces (although, this is not convenient for students who live in dorms, which are across campus).
• Other areas are being considered near 10th and 14th Street to expand parking to provide 30 to 75 extra spaces.
• If you’re a future potential freshman at Hope College, you might not be able to have your car on campus. The college is looking at potentially adding a restriction for first-year students to purchase parking permits. This could reduce vehicle counts by over 400 vehicles.
• The Campus Shuttle resource has reported a 44% increase in ridership so far this academic year, which suggests that more students are not utilizing their vehicles, and instead are leaving them in the parking lots to avoid losing their spot.

Not to mention, there are students who live off-campus who are able to park their vehicles where they live. But trouble still arises if they aren’t within walking distance and must drive to campus. This also includes commuters, who rely on parking spaces in order to come to campus.

And, tack on the fact that street parking is limited. These street spaces are heavily utilized, especially on College Avenue near the Van Wylen Library and Dimnent Chapel.

Since mid-October, students have been required to park their vehicles in lots during the nighttime hours. This means they are not allowed to leave their cars parked on the street overnight and has led to a frenzy to find parking last-minute before nightfall.

Other Mitigations

As construction is in full swing, contractors working on the new building have been required to park either on-site or in other areas such as the DeVos Fieldhouse in order to avoid competition with students and faculty/staff.

The accommodations for parking is a timely and crucial issue as it has the possibility of encroaching on the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses. As the report states, “Hope College will maintain close coordination with the City of Holland as these projects progress.”

Still Can’t Find Parking?

“With these measures in place, the college remains confident that parking needs will continue to be met without adverse effects on the surrounding neighborhoods,” the report concludes.

Still, for many students circling campus each morning, confidence may not be enough. Until the dust settles—literally—parking at Hope College remains a daily challenge.