TAMPA — The future of Kiley Gardens and the parking garage below it remains uncertain after staff briefed the council on repeated water intrusion and divergent ownership interests that complicate repairs.

What staff reported: Adrienne Collina, director of Logistics and Asset Management, and parking staff said the parking garage under Kiley Gardens has multiple ownership layers — the lowest garage level is privately owned, the middle level is held by the city parking division and the park above is parks property. Parking staff described multiple design and construction studies and said the city’s share of repair work on the level it owns includes a design estimate of about $1.1 million for top‑level garage repairs. Parks’ earlier design work to fully restore and waterproof the park surface showed a much larger figure — roughly $11 million — to “seal” the park and prevent continuing intrusion into the garage.

Why it matters: Speakers and council members noted the park has historic and community value; some urged the city and the Downtown CRA to explore funding to restore it. The project is complicated because the city does not own every layer: the bottom garage level belongs to a private owner, the next level is city parking, and the park is in parks’ purview.

Public input and next steps: Council members suggested a public process with options including full restoration with waterproofing, phased repairs or other design approaches; one council member suggested outreach to landmark-preservation experts and to the CRA. Staff said the property owner has agreed to coordinate studies, but that the park restoration would be a multiyear, multi‑million‑dollar capital project and that parks and the CRA should be involved in funding decisions. No appropriation was made at the meeting.

A closing note: Staff committed to providing options and estimates to council and to coordinate multi‑departmental and property‑owner work so that the community can weigh restoration, partial repair or alternative uses.