State Street garage construction draws closer

Between scrapped designs, potential Sunshine Law issues and threats of litigation, the approval process for the State Street parking garage has been a bumpy road. On April 21, the project will face its last hurdle before construction may begin.

Sarasota Chief Planner Steve Stancel said the city is currently in the process of receiving the guaranteed maximum price for construction from A.D. Morgan, the firm that will 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.

The commission’s approval may be less of a sure thing than it once was. The City Commission was taken aback in February after hearing the garage’s estimated construction costs were $11.3 million — more than $4 million higher than expected. The commission directed staff to continue with its work on the garage in a 3-2 vote, with several commissioners citing mixed feelings.

“This is a crisis of process,” Commissioner Paul Caragiulo said. “I really don't know how things get out of whack like this.”

The commission still has the option to reject the final engineering and construction contract at that meeting. Stancel said it was still unknown what the final construction costs would be, but he was hopeful that the guaranteed maximum price would come in lower than the $11.3 million estimate. He said, now that the designs are 45% completed, staff is better able to identify opportunities to reduce the overall cost.

“We're cautiously optimistic that the prices will come in lower than previously presented,” Stancel said.

At a public meeting Thursday, Stancel will provide an update on the garage’s design and construction. If the garage receives final approval from the commission, Stancel said vertical construction would begin in July, with substantial completion in mid-February and final completion in March. An agreement with Pineapple Square requires the city to have the garage in place by February 2015.

Stancel will also provide an update regarding how construction will affect the surrounding area and businesses. He said the city has been working closely with neighbors such as the Sarasota Farmers Market in an attempt to mitigate disruption.

The biggest change, Stancel said, would be the loss of the 139 parking spaces at the State Street surface lot. 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.”

Contact David Conway at [email protected]