Taxpayers now know how much new parking garage will cost. And what it will look like

What is now a flat plot of torn-up land hidden behind a strip of blue tarp will become Bradenton’s newest downtown parking garage. It’s price tag? A total of $13.8 million.

In a special city council meeting Wednesday morning, city administrator Carl Callahan shared an update on the City Centre parking garage and its final cost with council members. The guaranteed maximum price for the project us $13,809,519.63, which council members approved, along with the latest design plan. That sum included the $2.7 million already approved by the city for demolition of the previous parking lot and the ongoing work outside Bradenton City Hall.

“No ifs, ands or buts, it’s still a lot of money,” Callahan said. “But we didn’t want something that just parked cars. You wanted something more, and I think we’re giving you that here.”

A previous cost estimate brought to the city was higher, but developers worked with council members to bring the cost back down to $13.8 million, while creating the “same vision and look” that was in earlier plans.

“We were aiming at $12.5 (million),” Ward Three councilman Patrick Roff said. “We got it back down to $12.5 (million) and we really lost a lot of aesthetics.”

“This parking garage, the term ‘iconic’ is being used but, functionally, it is extremely important for everything to be able to use this parking area for us to survive. So it can’t be just another building,” Roff said.

Roff said he is pleased with the final price point, adding he has been comparing Bradenton’s project with one on St. Armands Circle. He noted that project does not including building new a chamber of commerce building like Bradenton’s does..

“Price-wise, I’d say we’re killing it,” Roff said.

Callahan and Roff said cash was set aside by the city last year and they have secured an $8 million bond through the Florida League of Cities to help pay for the garage.

As of Wednesday’s meeting, the garage’s foundation was about 20 percent completed, and could be finished by the end of August. Representatives of NDC Construction and Fawley-Bryant Architecture noted they hope to have the entire project finished in January.

They expect the garage to make available just under 500 full-sized parking spaces in the garage, developers said. Some of the spaces will be reserved for use by the Spring Hill Suites hotel under construction on the Manatee riverfront. The garage will also include a space for new Manatee County Chamber of Commerce offices and potential future retail space.

The former Manatee Chamber of Commerce building was torn down in May to make room for the new project.

Though there are still some aesthetic decisions to be made, the garage will have LED lighting, two elevators, three stairwells, public bathrooms that will be used for special public events only, and a trellis over the ramp into the garage, Callahan said.

Steve Padgett, managing partner for Fawley-Bryant, said designs include a balcony on the second floor of the Old Main Street side of building. However, Callahan noted it will be for “special use” and access to the balcony will likely be locked “most of the time.”

A color scheme for the garage has yet to be decided. Designs presented and approved Wednesday included the street-scape plans as well.

City officials are still working to determine if there will be street parking on Third Avenue West.

City Council members voted 4-0 in favor of a motion to approve the price and design plan for the parking garage. Councilman Bemis Smith was unable to attend the meeting.

Council members previously met privately with architects as the designs were finalized, but before Wednesday they last met as a group to discuss the project in January. Going forward, Roff said they will be able to meet in general about the project.

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 1:43 PM.