New parking lot opens in downtown Ocala

A new temporary parking lot has opened at the intersection of West Fort King Street and Southwest Third Avenue in downtown Ocala [City of Ocala].

Looking for a place to park your car in downtown Ocala without paying the meter?

A new, temporary lot has been opened on the northwest end of downtown to help alleviate parking stress until the new parking garage serves as a permanent solution.

The temporary lot is located at the intersection of West Fort King Street and Southwest Third Avenue.

“This is a temporary lot that will be accessible to the public until the construction for the new parking garage begins this fall,” said city spokesperson Ashley Dobbs.

The lot has no painted lines or parking blocks to mark off spaces, so there is no definitive number for how many cars it has capacity for, Dobbs said.

Parking here is free and can be utilized all day, except for nights. No time limits are in place for anyone who wishes to park there, except that no parking overnight is allowed.

The lot has been open for use staring on April 19.

Construction for the new parking garage is anticipated to begin in October. The garage will be built at the site of the Mount Moriah Baptist Church, since the city purchased the property in 2022.

“After construction starts this lot will be used as a laydown lot for the new parking garage and a portion will be allocated to parking for The Gathering Café, Serendipity Boutique and the Arthur Murray Dance Studio,” Dobbs said.