St. Armands parking garage construction underway

North Adams Drive surface lot closed as of April 23

The surface parking lot on North Adams Drive will be the site of the new garage. Photo courtesy City of Sarasota

Construction of the St. Armands parking garage began this week at the site of the public surface lot, located at 73 N. Adams Drive, adjacent to Sarasota County Fire Department Station 3, the City of Sarasota has announced.

To accommodate the construction, the surface lot closed to the public on Monday, April 23, a city news release pointed out.

“Out of season, there’s enough surface lot and on-street parking to sufficiently accommodate the 200 spaces that temporarily will be displaced during construction,” said city Parking Manager Mark Lyons in the release. “When the garage opens in December 2018, we’ll get those spaces back plus an additional 300 in the garage and vicinity. During construction, we encourage drivers to utilize the south surface lot off Fillmore Drive or on-street parking spaces,” Lyons added in the release.

The Parking Operations Division has been in close coordination with business owners and employees regarding the upcoming parking adjustment, the release notes.

The city collaborated with St. Armands merchants, property owners and residents to mutually agree on the $12-million construction project, which will be funded through a special assessment on commercial landowners and through paid parking revenue, the release explains.

The St. Armands parking garage, which will be four stories tall, will include a rooftop solar panel to capture solar energy that will help power the facility, the release adds. Public restrooms will be available on the first floor.

To view an animated design click here.

The garage is expected to be completed and open to the public in December.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction is scheduled for Wednesday, May 23, at 11 a.m.