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Ocala council approves redevelopment and parking agreements for Project Hometown hotel downtown
Summary
The Ocala City Council on Aug. 19 approved a redevelopment agreement and a related parking agreement to enable a proposed hotel project in downtown Ocala, drawing support from Main Street and discussion about parking, incentives and CRA timing.
Ocala City Council voted Aug. 19 to approve a redevelopment agreement and a separate parking agreement for “Project Hometown,” a proposed hotel on a vacant lot in downtown Ocala.
Supporters said the project will fill a vacant parcel, generate jobs and bring tourists to businesses in the core. “We believe that hotels are key feature to revitalizing downtowns,” said Jessica Field, representing Ocala Main Street. “It will stimulate the economy. It will produce jobs, and furthermore, it will drive tourism into our community to support our small businesses.”
The council heard a presentation from staff and the developer. Aubrey Hale, planning director, clarified how shared access would be managed and said the hotel’s sixth floor will be for the hotel’s exclusive use while the fifth-floor space could be coordinated for larger community events: “The sixth floor is dedicated solely to the hotel,” Hale said.
Attorney Rob Nazzle and developer Jimmy Gunning described project economics and developer assurances. Gunning said the developer’s contractor is comfortable with the project budget and that the city is not expected to bear cost overruns on the elevator work: “In fact, it would. We have talked to our — we Rob called our contractor … and he's comfortable with that number that's not gonna go over,” Gunning said, addressing concerns about incentive amounts.
Council members asked about parking and employee spaces downtown. The developer and staff said Marriott’s franchise standard requires roughly a 1:1 parking ratio per room (176 rooms was cited by the developer), and the agreement asks for additional spaces — described in the presentation as 225 spaces — to cover employees and operational needs. Council members pressed for follow-up when the city first denies a particular enclosure or parking request so the council can review. The developer suggested extending the community redevelopment area (CRA) in the future to reduce reliance on the parking incentive.
The council approved both items by roll-call votes. The redevelopment agreement passed with the council voting aye; the parking agreement likewise passed on a separate vote.
Next steps called for coordination between city staff and the developer on final permitting and coordination language defined in the agreements. Staff and the developer also indicated they would separate the parking agreement from the incentive agreement, making future adjustments easier if the council or CRA policy changes.
Votes on the redevelopment agreement and the parking agreement were recorded during the meeting and the city clerk will include the executed agreements in the official file.
