The long-discussed downtown parking garage is taking another step forward, with City Council unanimously selecting the City Hall parking lot as the preferred location for the future project.

After years of discussion about downtown parking and several months of evaluating potential locations, the Clermont City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, September 22, to move forward with the City Hall parking lot at 685 W. Montrose Street as the desired location for a new downtown parking garage.

The decision does not represent the final design or construction approval for the garage. Instead, it establishes the location the city intends to pursue as officials move into the next phase of planning.

A New Garage Could Add About 400 Parking Spaces

City officials estimate that a parking garage at the City Hall site could provide approximately 400 additional parking spaces downtown.

The additional parking is intended to help address long-term parking needs as Clermont's historic downtown continues to grow, with new businesses, restaurants, residential development and community events bringing more people into the area.

Parking demand has been an ongoing topic of discussion as Clermont works to balance continued downtown development with the area's walkable, small-town character.

A citywide downtown parking study conducted by Kittelson & Associates examined existing parking supply and demand in the downtown area. The study identified more than 1,000 existing parking spaces within the study area and evaluated parking conditions during typical weekdays, Saturdays and major downtown events. During the First Friday Food Truck event studied, parking demand exceeded the available supply by 13 spaces.

Why the City Hall Site?

The City Hall parking lot has been considered one of several possible locations for a downtown garage.

Earlier planning work identified the City Hall site as a potential preferred location and found that a larger garage could potentially be accommodated there. A 2025 city presentation identified the City Hall parking lot as the preferred site among several potential locations and showed a conceptual maximum of more than 500 spaces.

The city also created a Downtown Parking Garage Special Technical Advisory Committee to help evaluate potential locations and designs. The committee reviewed multiple concepts for the City Hall site as well as another potential location near 7th Street and Minneola Avenue.

At its September 10 meeting, the committee discussed three concepts for each location. Meeting minutes indicate that the committee ultimately leaned toward the City Hall site, with a concept focused primarily on parking and incorporating a mixed-use element along 7th Street.

What's Next?

With the location now selected, the next phase will focus on developing a more detailed plan for the garage.

City officials are expected to bring forward a more in-depth design, layout and project plan, including details such as the garage's appearance, number of levels, parking configuration, pedestrian connections and potential commercial or mixed-use components.

The city will also need to determine the project's final cost, funding strategy and construction timeline before the garage can move into construction.

That means there are still plenty of details to be worked out.

For now, however, the city has answered one of the biggest questions surrounding the project:

The future downtown parking garage is planned for the City Hall parking lot.

What It Could Mean for Downtown

If ultimately constructed, the garage would represent a significant change to Clermont's downtown parking infrastructure and could add hundreds of spaces within walking distance of downtown businesses, restaurants, events and the lakefront.

The project is also likely to influence how the surrounding area develops over the coming years.

As Clermont continues to invest in its downtown, the garage could provide additional parking capacity while allowing the city to plan for future growth rather than relying primarily on surface parking lots.

For residents and downtown businesses, the next major question will be what the garage ultimately looks like — and how it fits into the character of historic downtown Clermont.

The location has now been selected. The design process comes next.