The planned downtown parking garage just off the Oxford Square is one of the more significant projects in the community’s infrastructure history, so public engagement in the process is valuable.

That’s why we encourage Oxford residents to participate in a scheduled public meeting on Monday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Oxford Conference Center in which the project’s architect, the firm of Eley Guild Hardy Architects, will hold a public meeting to gather input regarding citizen ideas for design of the downtown parking garage.

Former Oxford alderman Tom Sharpe, who has done a good job spearheading the downtown garage committee, told The EAGLE he believes public input into the design project will yield the best result and he encourages citizens to attend and participate.

Eley Guild Hardy Architects, has worked on several Oxford projects, including Oxford High School and the new University of Mississippi parking garage.

The construction time for the project is expected to be about one year, but the city now must move through the design and construction bid process before this long-planned project becomes a reality.

Therefore, this public meeting to gather feedback on the parking garage design is one of the last times citizens can have substantial impact on how the garage looks. The Monday meeting is open to the public.