Burns Square Parking Lot To Re-Open For Free

Sarasota will soon have a free parking lot available again in Burns Square.

The city commission voted 5-0 Friday to enter in a six-month lease with Michael Saunders for its to provide parking options while the

Business owners have said the construction prevents customers from easily getting to their shops and they have seen a drop in sales, WTSP reported.

Saunders will be paid $6,000, or $1,000 a month, for the lot. That bundled with improvements to the lot will cost about $15,000, said Deputy City Manager Marlon Brown. The money will come out of the Tax Increment Financing Downtown Redevelopment account.

charging 50 cents an hour for parking, but the commission said the city would eat the cost because of the situation.

"It's a remedy that those folks need for business mitigation for that problem right now," Commissioner Shannon Snyder said.

No overnight parking will be allowed, however.

"I think this is what you call excellent damage control," Mayor Suzanne Atwell said. "I think this is a great idea and a great way to go forward."

The city and  are also offering a Ringling Roundabout Express shuttle service to get people to Burns Square.

Regular hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition the service offers extended weekend hours Thursday through Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. A list of 17 available stops can be found on the city's website.

To get a ride during the regular service hours from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., contact the Green Hopper at 877-323-7238 ext. 2. For the extended weekend hours from 6:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., press 5 to speak with a driver. The service is free, but the driver operates on tips.

Brown also said the staff has proposed closing Ringling Boulevard to through traffic at the construction sites to shorten the construction schedule by 45 days.