City Commission to discuss St. Armands garage construction

City staff will seek authorization to move forward with a $12 million St. Armands Circle parking garage project at Monday’s City Commission meeting.

The commission will consider a contract with Jon F. Swift Construction to build the 500-space garage, which will be located at North Adams Drive and Madison Drive. Staff is also asking the commission to re-authorize a $17.5 million bond issue to pay for the construction.

The city has already approved most of the scope of the project. That includes the implementation of a special assessment on Circle property owners and a paid parking system in the commercial district as funding sources.

In addition to the four-story garage, the project will include burying power lines along John Ringling Boulevard and streetscape and sign improvements on St. Armands.

The city hopes to begin construction on the garage in spring 2018 and complete work by December 2018.

Also on the agenda for Monday’s meeting:

• Consultant and golf architect Richard Mandell will deliver a presentation on his recommendations for renovating Bobby Jones Golf Club. The cost of implementing all of his recommendations would be $21.6 million, Mandell estimates in a report.
• The commission will make appointments to its new Tree Advisory Committee, a board formed to refine the city’s tree protection regulations.
• The board will discuss the Sarasota Bayfront 20:20 steering committee, a new entity that some commissioners have expressed concern about.

The full agenda for Monday’s meeting can be found on the city website.