OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A new parking garage will soon provide additional parking spaces for residents and visitors, enhancing accessibility to downtown Ocala.
A public input meeting was held Jan. 30, 2025, at the Brick City Center for the Arts. Charlita Whitehead, the City of Ocala‘s economic development and cultural arts project coordinator, opened the meeting with remarks and introductions.
Representatives from Kittelson & Associates and SSC Construction attended the meeting to discuss the project. Parking Garage No. 2 will be constructed on the site of the former Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Construction is set to begin in the spring of 2025, with completion expected by the summer of 2026.
Project Location and Purpose
“The site is between Broadway and Fort King and SW 2nd and SW 3rd Streets and serves as an anchor to the other parking garage. It anchors the core downtown and it creates a much more walkable, bikeable, exciting and vibrant area,” said JP Weesner, principal urban planner and landscape architect at Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
Project Timeline
- Design Phase: Winter 2024 – Spring 2025
- Construction Phase: Spring 2025 – Summer 2026
- Site Preparation: Spring 2025 – Fall 2025
- Foundations: Fall 2025 – Winter 2025
- Erect Precast: Winter 2025 – Spring 2026
- Final Touches: Spring 2026 – Summer 2026
Garage Features and Design
Parking Garage No. 2 will be a four-level structure, providing at least 800 additional parking spaces. According to Weesner, the garage will feature a mix of brick and spandrels. Wall panels with foam window treatments will be incorporated, and the first floor will be designed to resemble a main street rather than a blank facade. The design will include undulations and varying elevations for aesthetic appeal.
“It’s situated as such that it will be set back a little bit off Broadway, so we can have a plaza space for the Mt. Moriah monument, which will be like a memorial garden space,” said Weesner. “The conceptual design of the garage is intended to have a speed ramp on one end that allows the floors to all be flat. It’s a passive security benefit. As you come into this garage, you go up and down this speed ramp, and enter each floor in a flat way, so when you’re on that floor, you can see across the whole floor instead of having those floors tilted. It provides a security benefit.”
Key Features of Parking Garage No. 2
- Two entrance/exits located on SW 2nd and SW 3rd Streets
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- Expanded plaza space along Broadway frontage
- Monument space for Mt. Moriah Baptist Church
- Speed ramp with flat floors for enhanced security
Memorial Garden and Public Amenities
The Mt. Moriah Baptist Church memorial garden space will include a foundational element honoring the church. Additionally, the areas between the sidewalk and the building will feature street lighting, bicycle racks, and benches, similar to those at Parking Garage No. 1, Weesner explained.
The primary pedestrian entrance to the garage will be on the northeast corner and will include a piece of artwork designed as an “Instagrammable” space—a spot for visitors to take photos and mark their arrival in Ocala. The garage may also feature a kiosk providing information about local events.