Your friend didn't have to download an app to pay for parking downtown. Downtown parking is still free, but limited to 2 hours. I believe it has been this way for decades.
FYI, Hwy 12 right-of-way is controlled my MDOT not MSU. This includes the on and off ramp. College View is on campus until the overpass. The University just spent a ton of money adding sidewalks and they don't want people parking on it.
This project is on the old Aiken Village site. The project on University is called the Vista. Combined both projects add about 1300 bedrooms to the area.
Look at the Board of Aldermen agenda and the facebook live feeds for the last two months. This process has already started. The University is all in on being annexed.
There are other restaurants scheduled to be built around the Mill. The new development is mainly student housing with retail along University Drive. There will also be a partial connection made to College View adding another access point into the District. As part of this project two parking...