By TYLER TREADWAY
By a 3-2 vote, the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency gave the go-ahead Wednesday to plans for a parking garage on the City Hall grounds that would include a five-story building with retail stores and office space.
City commissioners, who also act as board members of the redevelopment agency, were shown preliminary plans for five-level parking garage with 477 parking spaces and an adjacent building with about 30,000 square feet for businesses on the ground floor and offices above.
Commissioner Christine Coke strongly objected to the plan, saying the inclusion of retail and office space would compete with downtown landlords who already are struggling to fill open spaces.
Coke, a longtime downtown business owner, suggested instead that space in the building be used for city offices 'where most members of the public need to go,' such as the building department.
Told by City Attorney Rob Schwerer that there are limits on how redevelopment agency funds can be used for city facilities, Coke suggested that the city pay for the building and the agency pay for the parking garage.
Bob Chapman, one of the consultants hired by the agency to develop the garage, noted that the retail/office building will be built as a shell, so that its exact use can be determined at a later date.
Commissioner Eddie Becht also voted against proceeding with the plans, noting that 124 parking spaces in the City Hall lot will be lost to build the garage, leaving a net gain of 353 spaces.
Becht also voted against the board's action in May to scrap longstanding plans to build the parking garage at the former JCPenney story site on Indian River Drive.
Commissioner R. 'Duke' Nelson moved for approval of the plan with the proposed retail space, saying he didn't want any more delays in the city's efforts to add much-needed parking spaces downtown.
An estimated price tag for the garage has not been determined; but a complete set of plans, ready to take bids on the project, is scheduled to be delivered by Sept. 15.
In other action, the redevelopment agency board:
• Authorized Jon Ward, the agency's director, to spend up to $16 million to buy land at the fisherman's wharf just north of the South Bridge for the development of a resort hotel.
Ward said that once enough property is obtained, the agency could approach hotel chains and developers for proposals.
• Agreed to let its proposal to pay $5.9 million for the 1.7-acre Rollins property at the South Jetty ride for 30 days. The owners of the property are asking $6.2 million. It's been appraised at $5.82 million.
• Said the redevelopment agency should run its much-delayed downtown trolley itself rather than continue negotiations with the Council on Aging of St. Lucie County to do the job.
Ward said the Council on Aging wanted about $75,000 a year to run the trolley, but that price didn't include fuel, insurance or maintenance. He said an annual budget of $101,376 would do the job.
The trolley was supposed to be running by October 2005.
Commissioner Christine Coke said the trolley's delays were making the city 'a laughing stock.'
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