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SAN JOSE —Some San Jose State alumni are outraged that the university has decided to pave over an historic track and turn it into a parking garage.
Bud Winter Field, the track where Olympic medal-winning sprinters Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Lee Evans trained as undergrads, has nearly reached the finish line.
The facility has fallen into disrepair and now, university officials have decided to pave it over and build a parking lot.
"I'm kind of disappointed. I've using the track for the last five years," said jogger Cassie Tran. Her daughter attends San Jose State, so she knows how hard it is to find parking on what is largely a commuter campus. "There are limited parking spaces, so I'm torn."
Some alumni are in disbelief over the mov. One tells the Mercury News, "To take that hallowed ground and pave it over...you are committing sacrilege."
San Jose State plans to build a $2.5-million recreational field next to the new parking garage.
The current track will close for construction in June.