Construction is officially underway on a project city leaders say will improve parking, pedestrian safety and the overall downtown experience in Leesburg.

City officials, state legislators, contractors and community partners gathered Monday for the groundbreaking of the 5th Street Downtown Parking Project at 429 W. Magnolia St. The $1.07 million project will redevelop the former Leesburg Center for the Arts property and surrounding parking areas into an expanded public parking lot.

According to city officials, the project will add approximately 100 parking spaces, nearly doubling the capacity of the existing 107-space parking lot. Plans also include ADA-compliant crosswalks and parking, improved lighting, landscaping and other safety enhancements designed to make downtown more accessible for residents and visitors.

“A great day for Downtown Leesburg!” Commissioner Alan Reisman wrote in a Facebook post following the ceremony. “Today, we celebrated the groundbreaking for the 5th Street Downtown Parking Project, an investment that will help support our growing downtown and the many businesses, residents, and visitors who enjoy it.”

The improvements are intended to increase parking capacity while improving pedestrian safety and connectivity throughout downtown.

Yolanda Green, who attended the ceremony as both a Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce board member and a CareerSource Central Florida employee, highlighted the project’s anticipated impact in a Facebook post.

“This exciting project will add approximately 100 new parking spaces, improve traffic flow and connectivity, enhance lighting and landscaping, increase safety and walkability throughout downtown, and support continued economic growth and development,” she wrote.

The ceremony featured remarks from Public Works Director Cliff Kelsey, Mayor Allyson Berry, City Manager Al Minner, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Pederson, State Sen. Keith Truenow, State Rep. Nan Cobb, representatives from GAI Consultants and PAQCO Inc., the project’s contractor.

Reisman also thanked city staff and project partners for helping bring the project to fruition.

“This project is possible through strong partnerships with LifeStream, support from our local legislative delegation, and the commitment to continuing to invest in the future of our community,” he wrote. “A special thank you to our City staff, Public Works team, engineers, contractors, and community partners whose hard work behind the scenes has helped bring this project from an idea to reality.”

According to the project information distributed at the ceremony, GAI Consultants served as the project’s engineer and designer, while PAQCO Inc. was selected as the general contractor. Construction will be completed in three phases to minimize disruptions to downtown businesses and visitors, with completion expected in November 2026.

Photos by Nicole Hamel