City of Naples suggests underground parking to relieve congestion

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
Car park

Naples city council discussed parking changes that could include an underground parking facility to relieve traffic congestion downtown.

Some people argued on Wednesday that recent storms like Hurricane Ian have shown that underground facilities could be dangerous, and others asked the city council to prioritize ongoing projects before spending money on a new one.

“The purpose of having this on the agenda is to see if there is any direction from council relative to how we deal with applications that have below-grade parking facilities,” said Jay Boodheshwar, Naples City Manager.

Basements aren’t typically found in Florida because of the water table, so how would they construct an underground parking garage?

The shops along Third Street South had underground parking in 2017, but the building was bulldozed.

“You are effectively approving the equivalent of underground bathtubs with hazardous substances below multistory developments, housing thousands of residents, and all the while, the item has not been studied or workshopped. This item has not been regulated nor banned. From a safety perspective, it should not be approved,” said Joan Fiore, from Naples.

This is the second time since June that the city has discussed ideas for improving downtown congestion.

No particular location has been chosen, and there have been no definitive decisions made regarding policies for the city.

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