Palm Avenue parking garage behind schedule

Four months into the construction of the Palm Avenue parking garage, the project is 13 days behind schedule.
City staff says scheduling problems with Florida Power & Light set back the project timeline.

Suffolk Construction began construction April 1, and the project is expected to be complete in December, but FPL’s removal of eight power poles from the construction site did not meet the garage contractor’s schedule.

Matt Slater, Suffolk’s project manager, said those poles were too close to the structure, and he had to wait until they were removed before he could begin the garage’s framework.

Last month, the project was 21 days behind, but Slater said he was able to make up some ground.

He’s hopeful he’ll be able to get back on schedule before December.

“I still want to bring it in early,” said Slater.

Suffolk began pouring cement two weeks ago to form the first elevated parking deck. It will soon begin to create the second floor’s support columns.

Rick Winters, the city’s project manager, said he’s confident the project will be back on schedule soon.

“I don’t have any concerns,” he said.

GARAGE SPECS
Parking spaces: Approximately 740
Levels: Six
Retail space: 14,000 square feet
Project cost: $12.5 million