Leesburg city officials say the 5th Street Downtown Parking Project will add 48 parking spaces, improve pedestrian safety and make downtown more walkable and business-friendly.
The city also plans a public open house at the Venetian Center on May 27 from 3 to 5 p.m., as well as a Chamber sunrise briefing on May 28 from 7 to 9 a.m.
Project scope
The project includes expanding and reconfiguring public parking, redeveloping the former Leesburg Arts Center site into a new parking lot, adding wayfinding signs, upgrading crosswalks and ADA-compliant sidewalks, improving lighting and traffic calming, and enhancing landscaping and gathering spaces.
At an August 2025 City Commission meeting, the city discussed a potential lineup of vendors for the project, such as Bulldog Sitework LLC for infrastructure and Sign Design of Florida.
Construction timeline
Work is planned in three phases: Phase 1 begins May 20, 2026; Phase 2 begins in August 2026; and Phase 3 begins in November 2026. The city says it will share regular updates on milestones, traffic impacts and public access during construction.
Will the project disrupt local businesses?
No, according to John Sokol, owner of the Great Chicago Fire, a popular brew pub, hot dog and pizza bar-restaurant on the next block…