The Mayor of Ocala says the city is hoping to break ground on its new downtown parking garage in May and will host a public forum later this month to provide a progress update to local residents.
Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano shared the brief update in a video posted to his social media channels on Thursday.
“The construction that’s happening [near Broadway and Third Street] is to prepare for the parking garage that is coming. We are hopefully looking to break ground on the parking garage in May, and it’ll be about a yearlong project,” said Marciano.
The mayor says the city is aiming for January 30 for a potential public forum on the matter.
“We’re shooting for January 30 to do a townhall meeting to give an update of what we’re planning on doing with the garage and what that’s going to look like. And we’re looking for community involvement,” said Marciano.
Last month, the Ocala City Council approved a contract to demolish Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church and an agreement to construct the new parking garage in downtown Ocala.
According to a city staff report, the buildings that comprise the church at the existing site along SW 3rd Avenue in downtown Ocala will be demolished to make way for the 800-space parking garage.
The demolition is being be handled by Thomas F. Amodeo/A & A Trucking & Excavating. That company, which is based in Ocala, was contracted for approximately $104,164, which includes a $9,469 contingency. SSC Construction Management, LLC, another Ocala-based company, will handle the construction and design of the city’s second downtown parking garage, which is estimated to cost approximately $17,481,485.70. That contract will include an additional $974,497.30 in contingencies for a grand total of $18,455,983.
City officials began Phase 1 of the downtown parking garage project in October 2024, kicking off a series of major detours in downtown Ocala that have been in effect for months.
The road closures and detours associated with the project downtown have been a topic of concern for a few business owners and local readers, with one local business owner telling Ocala-News.com that the closures have resulted in less foot traffic to their establishment.
According to the city, construction of the parking garage is estimated to be complete by the summer of 2026. The city estimates that all of the roadway projects in downtown Ocala associated with the garage will be completed by 2027, with detours and closures planned through that time in various phases.
