The Fort Walton Beach City Council unanimously approved a $451,692.78 contract Tuesday night for construction of a new public parking lot at 147 Brooks Street Southeast, waiving the city’s competitive bidding requirements to speed up the project.

• The council voted 7-0 to award the contract to GLC Contracting, the same company working on the nearby Fort Walton Beach Landing development.

The decision allows the city to bypass its standard purchasing policy due to what officials called “unique circumstances” and the need to address ongoing rent payments on the leased property.

“We understand that base rent is being paid, we’re trying to be conscientious about that,” said Daniel Payne, Public Works Director, during the meeting. “We can procure and do the whole nine yards, but the city bidding process is lengthy.  We just want to be conscientious of the base being paid and trying to find great ways to get things done in a quicker time.”

The 35-space parking lot will be built on property the city began leasing from Robert and Susan Norman in December 2024. The lease became effective in March after the city demolished an existing building on the site.

Councilman Bryce Jeter praised city staff for recognizing the rental situation and finding ways to expedite the process. “This contractor’s already down there. It’s a competitive price and we’re going to hold them accountable to get it done as quickly as possible,” Jeter said.

• The project is positioned to address a critical parking shortage in the downtown area. The city has lost approximately 95 public parking spaces along Brooks Street over the past two years, with only 25% of those spaces expected to return after bridge construction is completed.

According to the contract terms, GLC Contracting has 90 days for substantial completion of the parking lot, with final completion including landscaping and other ancillary items within 120 days. The contract includes liquidated damages ranging from $500 to $1,700 per day for delays.

Councilman David Schmidt emphasized the importance of a strict performance timeline. “I would like to lean towards a very tight period of performance that’s obviously realistic with staff’s evaluation,” Schmidt said.

The parking lot will include 140 linear feet of sidewalk on the south side of Brooks Street and direct connections to both Brooks Street and the existing Fort Walton Beach Landing parking lot. The project also includes lighting, landscaping and connectivity features.

Funding for the project comes from the city’s half-cent sales tax, which had budgeted $500,000 for the parking lot construction. The approved contract amount is approximately $48,000 under budget.

The new parking lot is located on the east side of the Fort Walton Beach Landing, with Woodfoot across the street, and is expected to help alleviate parking constraints in the downtown area while the larger Landing project continues construction.