WILDWOOD, FL (352today.com) – The City of Wildwood announced they will break ground next week to get the ball rolling on a new parking garage.
City officials say a groundbreaking ceremony will be held Monday, Jan. 8, to kickstart the construction of a new multistory parking garage which will be located at the corner of Main and Oxford Streets.
The ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. and is open to the public.
The garage, which is expected to open by fall of this year will be the ‘first high-visibility construction project’ that is a part of the city’s master plan for downtown, said city officials in a news release. They say the opening date is subject to change based on supply chain, weather, and other potential delays. According to the release, the garage will have approximately 125 spaces which will be available to serve current and future businesses downtown.
The City of Wildwood says the project is a part of a public-private partnership with G3 Development, a real estate company based in Mount Dora. They say the master plan also includes nearly 8,000 square feet of new commercial space available for lease for dining and entertainment. It will be built, owned, and operated by G3 development, and is expected to open in early 2025. Construction on that is expected to start around the middle of this year.
The downtown master plan was adopted by the city commission in November of 2021. The city says local businesses and residents got the opportunity to give their input and share what they felt would be the most beneficial for the community through surveys, interviews, a workshop, virtual open house, and even presentations.
READ: Wildwood Commission adopts 2024 budget. Lowers millage rate, increases city staff
Those who participated were asked to identify and analyze what the community’s needs and wants were and the ‘redevelopment and revitalization’ of downtown was quickly acknowledged as a top priority for the city to address.
City Manager Jason McHugh says the process isn’t always quick and easy and that although the pandemic created some issues, they are now ‘firmly’ on their way to finally bringing it all to life.
“We are excited to see this plan take shape,” said McHugh. “So much outreach, feedback, and analysis go into creating a design, but until it’s actually built, it is simply concept and calculations. We’ve reached that monumental milestone where residents will begin to see their vision for a vibrant downtown start to become reality.”
For more information regarding the new parking garage, or the city’s entire downtown master plan, click here.