A controversial proposal to build a downtown parking garage in Lake Worth Beach is moving forward after a commission vote during a quasi-judicial hearing Monday night. The nearly $10 million project would transform an existing surface parking lot near K Street and First Avenue South into a four-and-a-half-story structure designed to add hundreds of parking spaces in the downtown core. City leaders say the garage is needed to address growing parking demands as redevelopment continues, though some residents question whether the project is necessary and have raised concerns about potential taxpayer costs.
Vice Mayor Mimi May said the city has been discussing a centralized parking area since the 1960s, and recent parking studies have shown a need for additional parking downtown. Funding sources include city general fund dollars, federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, Community Redevelopment Agency contributions, and a $1 million loan from the Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts. May said everything has been allocated and budgeted with no future taxpayer payments required. The project includes relocating two historic city-owned buildings and adding public art, a mural and a green wall. The proposal heads to a second and final reading on June 30, with construction potentially beginning and the garage opening as early as 2028.