New parking garage won’t be open for Fourth of July. Here’s where you can park

The newest parking garage downtown won’t be open for business for the Fourth of July.

Bradenton City Administrator Carl Callahan said last week it would not be a good idea to allow parking in the new City Centre parking garage near city hall for use during the Fourth of July celebrations. The only spaces in use will be those reserved for the SpringHill Suites hotel.

Even on foot, people won’t be allowed into or onto the garage.

“It’s intended to be a parking garage, not a party deck,” Callahan said.

Bradenton Police Captain Brian Thiers said the garage construction contractor hired off-duty officers to ensure no one goes up to the garage roof.

“Obviously, parking will be tight, so we’re asking for people to be patient and courteous of others. And remember to remove your valuables and lock your doors,” Thiers said.

However, there are still several areas to park for those who plan on driving into downtown to celebrate.

Public parking in Bradenton is available at these locations:

• The County Administration building, 414 10th St. W.
• The Judicial Center parking garage, 615 12th St. W.
• The U.S. Post Office, on Manatee Avenue between Eighth and Ninth streets.
• Parking lot at 13th Street West and Third Avenue West.
• Parking lot on Third Avenue West, across the railroad tracks to the east of the Manatee Performing Arts Center.
• Parking lot behind Mattison’s along the Riverwalk.
• Street parallel parking is available throughout downtown.

Parking in Palmetto for the ninth annual Fourth Fest on the north side of the Manatee River can be found at these locations:

• City Hall, 516 Eighth Ave. W.
• First Baptist Church parking lot, 1020 Fourth St. W.
• Palmetto Library, 923 Sixth St. W.
• Street parking along 10th Avenue between Seventh and 10th streets, Riverside Drive and Eighth Avenue, Riverside Drive and 10th Avenue

Using a ride-share service such as Lyft, Uber, a cab or other public transportation can save the trouble of parking, but depending on demand there could be surge pricing in place.

AAA also offers a Tow to Go service, which will tow a vehicle and a driver home or somewhere safe within 10 miles, in an effort to prevent impaired driving between Wednesday and 6 a.m. Friday by calling (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246.

This story was originally published July 1, 2019 at 2:11 PM.