The demolition of a church that was built in downtown Ocala over 50 years ago will come up for a vote on Tuesday, as city officials attempt to clear the space to construct a multi-million dollar parking garage that has been years in the making.
A contract to demolish and remove the buildings that comprised Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Ocala will come before the Ocala City Council during its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 3.
According to a city staff report, the project consists of demolishing and removing the existing buildings located on two parcels situated along SW 3rd Avenue in downtown Ocala. The buildings formerly comprised Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, which was founded in 1867.
According to Marion County property records, the structures themselves were built in the early 1900s and were most recently renovated in the 1960s, about 100 years after the church’s founding.
The contract for the demolition is with Thomas F. Amodeo/A & A Trucking & Excavating and is for approximately $104,164, which includes a $9,469 contingency. According to state corporate records, the company is based in Ocala.
“Thomas F Amodeo/ A & A Trucking & Excavating has satisfactorily completed similar projects for the City in the last five years,” reads a statement from the city staff report.
City records show that four bids were received for the project, with all other bids coming in over $109,000. The companies that submitted those bids were from Anthony, Plant City, and Tampa, Florida.
The vote to determine the demolition contract will come during the same meeting as a vote to approve the contract to construct the second parking garage. If approved, that $18.5 million contract would be with SSC Construction Management, LLC., another local company.
According to city records, the cost of the project is estimated at $17,481,485.70, with an additional $974,497.30 in contingencies for a grand total of $18,455,983.
In October, the city began Phase 1 of the project, kicking off a series of major detours in downtown Ocala associated with the project.
Those street closures have been in effect for weeks in downtown Ocala on roadways near the garage, which will be situated south of Broadway Street and north of W Fort King, between SW 3rd Avenue and SW 2nd Avenue.
The proposed contract shows that construction of the parking garage should be completed by the summer of 2026.
The city estimates that construction and associated roadway projects in downtown Ocala will be completed in five phases through 2027.
The Ocala City Council regularly meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 4 p.m. at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue).
UPDATE: The dates associated with the construction of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church were revised after this article was published.
