DDA backs commercial space in proposed parking garage

The Bradenton Downtown Development Authority is officially recommending to the city council that a commercial retail component be included in an upcoming request for proposals release to any developer interested in building a new downtown parking garage planned for the southwest corner of the city hall parking lot.

DDA board member Mike Carter presented some potential design features that have been well received by the city thus far. Carter presented an idea of ground-floor commercial retail space that would include glass sliding doors to allow potential renters the opportunity to open up their space to pedestrian traffic, creating the effect of an outdoor bazaar.

Initial discussions of a large restaurant occupying the ground floor have been dropped due to the expense of required infrastructure. Instead, the DDA and city officials are in favor of creating several smaller retail spaces.

There was some concern about creating more retail space in a government building that would compete with nearby private enterprises, but Carter said, “There’s more than one dress store at the mall. It all brings traffic. More space brings more people.”

Carter said Realize Bradenton is expressing interest in potentially taking over management of the retail component and sharing revenue with the city. Carl Callahan, city administrator, said it would be similar to the way the Central Community Redevelopment Agency acts as owner of properties, “but sublets out to a third party. It takes away all appearances of favoritism if the government is involved in management.”

Vice Mayor Gene Gallo has pushed for a residential development on the top of the garage.

“This is the opportunity and time when we need to do it,” Gallo said. “We are looking at millennials and these are the things the millennials are looking for. Let’s don’t slight this opportunity.”

Callahan said it would increase costs, but it could be listed in the request for proposals to potentially have infrastructure built into the garage that would accommodate future vertical development. There are no cost estimates until developers begin to respond to the request that Callahan said would be released soon. However, he said the city could accommodate a garage costing upwards of $8 million without having to borrow money.

“If it gets into the $10-$12 million range, we will lose the ability to do that,” he said. “So we are needing to hone in on the details of this quickly, and we still need to determine the number of spaces, which will determine the number of levels. We still want the look to be consistent with Old Main Street, and we want something cool rather than unique because unique is not something we are necessarily looking for.”

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 3:51 PM with the headline "DDA backs commercial space in proposed parking garage."