Update on the second downtown parking garage

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Posted May 31, 2023 | Staff report

In October of 2022, the City of Ocala purchased the property where Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church is located on Southwest 3rd Avenue for $2 million with plans to build a second downtown parking garage.

The church is currently constructing new facilities and has an agreement with the city to vacate its old church by Sept. 2024.

The Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church is shown on Southwest 3rd Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The historical black church is celebrating its 155th anniversary. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

The construction schedule of the parking garage will depend on when the city obtains possession of the property.

The city estimates the design and construction of the parking garage at $13M and will be funded with “a mix of Penny Sales Tax, General Fund, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds,” according to Ashley Dobbs, spokesperson for the city.

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