The Ocala City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to move forward with the next steps in building a second downtown parking garage.
City documents show SSC Construction Management, LLC has been hired to handle the designer-build services, and Thomas F. Amodeo/A&A Trucking & Excavating has the contract for demolition and removal services.
Records indicate SSC Construction Management, LLC will be paid $18.45 million, with the other company receiving $104,164.
Voting in favor of both contracts were council members Kristen Dreyer, Ire Bethea Sr., Jim Hilty, Jay Musleh and Barry Mansfield.
Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church
The soon-to-be constructed parking garage will sit on several properties formerly owned by Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church.
The land is bordered by Southwest Third Avenue to the west, Southwest Second Avenue to the east and Southwest Broadway Street to the north. There are parcels on both the north and south sides of Fort King Street. The garage will be constructed on the west side of Southwest Second Avenue, between Broadway and Fort King.
The project is expected to wrap up in late June 2026.
The cost for the 1.62 acres was close to $1.8 million. When completed, the six-story parking garage will have more than 800 spaces for vehicles, according to a city official. The city's other garage is on Fort King Street across from City Hall.
Funds for the new garage will come from the Marion County 1% sales tax and the American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA.
Monument?
During the council meeting, several people said they hope the city properly recognizes, honors and tributes the historic church.
One woman said the church has more than 150 years in the community and has contributed to the development of downtown Ocala. She said it would be an insult to have only a plaque on the side of the garage to remember the church.
Another speaker said the church has been a fixture and beacon for the community. He said a stand-alone monument that's visible for everyone would be appropriate.
A third speaker told the council the church is a landmark whose memory needs to be preserved.
City Manager Pete Lee said the city and the church have a good relationship. Lee denied the city wanted to use eminent domain to get the properties. He said the plan is to have a monument, and staff will consult with church officials on where to put it once the design is completed.
In other city news:
City leaders voted 5-0 to settle two separate matters for a total of more than $400,000.
One settlement, for $135,000, was for a lawsuit stemming from a crash involving a police vehicle. Documents state the vehicle was driven by a city employee and struck another vehicle while attempting to cross South Pine Avenue.
"It is evident that the city’s driver violated the plaintiffs’ right-of-way and caused the collision that resulted," a city document states. The crash occurred in April 2022.
According to a report about the case: "Given the city’s apparent liability for the accident, the issue at trial would not be whether the city is responsible for the plaintiffs’ damages; rather, the issue would be the extent of the plaintiffs’ damages. An agreement to settle this matter at this time will avoid the additional costs of continued litigation — including discovery costs, expert witness fees, and other expenses — and will prevent the possibility of an adverse judgment at jury trial in excess of the settlement amount."
The rest of the money will be paid to resolve damage incurred as a result of a power outage at a city lift station (628 NE 27th Ave.) during Hurricane Milton.
In a memo, city officials said the lift station "failed to operate, which resulted in the backup of wastewater through sewer plumbing into – potentially – 10 duplex/apartment units and one commercial unit."
"The intrusion of the wastewater into the units caused damage to flooring, drywall, cabinets, furniture and other personal property of the affected parties and raised concerns over the continued occupation of the facilities by the affected parties," according to the document.
Agreement:Ocala City Council agrees on location for city’s next downtown parking garage
City officials made arrangements to fix the problems and pay to help damaged parties. The services included temporary housing; removal of damaged and contaminated materials and personal property; storage for personal property displaced from affected properties; repair and reconstruction of damaged and contaminated materials including flooring, drywall and cabinets; replacement of damaged/destroyed personal property.
The city is seeking payment from a contractor that it says caused the problem. It also may get reimbursement from the city's insurance provider. While those discussions continue, the memo says, city staff thought it was best to provide support to the affected parties.
City Council leadership positions
There was a changing of the guard on Tuesday. Each year, city council members pick one of their own to serve as council president and council president pro-tem. Mansfield was the council president and Dreyer was council president pro-tem.
At the meeting, Dreyer was selected as the new council president and Ire Bethea Sr. as the council president pro-tem.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
