ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — U.S. 1 and King Street is one of the main gateways into Downtown St. Augustine, the center of the city’s tourism industry.
On the northwest corner of the intersection, where Broudy’s liquor store is located, the city has discussed development for a new parking garage.
During Monday's city commission meeting, city leaders discussed a deal between the city and the landowner, the Broudy family.
The tentative deal states the landowner would build and own the parking garage on the far west corner of the land, while the city would lease and operate it. The deal also calls for the city to pay a rent at $300,000 per year for 30 years, increasing 3 percent per year.
The new parking garage could have 750 parking spaces, which is smaller than the other parking garage that the city currently owns and operates with 1,200 spaces.
A parking garage is just the start of a project here.
The goal, floated by the city and the landowner in other city meetings, is to turn the entire corner at U.S. 1 and West King Street into a transportation hub, complete with a commuter rail depot enabling train service between St. Augustine and Jacksonville.
A parking garage on this site could also possibly open the gates for tourists to experience West Augustine, an area that visitors are just starting to discover.