City to provide update on State Street garage

As staff prepares to seek final commission approval to begin construction of the State Street parking garage later this month, the city will hold a public meeting tomorrow evening to provide an update on the project.

As part of that update, Chief Planner Steve Stancel will outline how construction at State Street and Lemon Avenue will affect the surrounding area and businesses. He said the city has been working closely with neighbors and nearby programs like the Sarasota Farmers Market to attempt to mitigate any disruption.

The biggest change, Stancel said, would be the loss of the 139 parking spaces at the current State Street surface lot, the site of the garage. With the help of Parking Manager Mark Lyons, the city has identified 30 on-street parking spaces that could be added to offset that loss.

In addition to rerouting drivers to existing parking structures, such as the one located at Whole Foods, Stancel said the city would consider renting private lots or hiring a valet to make the transition as smooth as possible.

“We're going to better mark some of the existing public parking areas that don't necessarily get used,” Stancel said. “We're looking at several other options in terms of temporary parking or other ways to mitigate it.”

Stancel said the city is currently in the process of receiving the Guaranteed Maximum Price for construction from A.D. Morgan, the group selected to design and build the garage. Staff will present that information to the City Commission at its April 21 meeting.

If commissioners OK the price tag, Stancel said, construction could begin at State Street and Lemon Avenue by mid-May. Vertical construction is scheduled to begin in July, with substantial completion in mid-February 2015 and final completion in March.

IF YOU GO
What: State Street parking garage and mixed-use project update
When: 6 p.m. Thursday, April 10
Where: Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St., Sarasota 

For the latest update on the State Street garage project, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Sarasota Observer.

Contact David Conway at [email protected].