NSB: Proposed project could mean more parking, new condos, retail on Flagler Avenue

In what would significantly change the aesthetics to part of Flagler Avenue, the city and a local Realtor are considering an agreement that could add parking spaces, new condos, restaurants, shops and more to the iconic New Smyrna Beach business district.

With the parking task force over, city officials are considering how to improve the parking situation, especially in New Smyrna Beach’s popular districts.

One of those districts, Flagler Avenue, has seen traffic congestion and lack of parking spaces grow over the past few years with no sign of slowing down.

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In one of its recommendations, the parking task force, which ended in October, suggested the city seek partnerships with privately owned businesses and public agencies with existing parking lots within the parking districts.

In its latest effort, in collaboration with local Realtor Ignacio Barsottelli, the city is considering a new project that would add more parking spots along the Jessamine Avenue parking lot, near the 400th block of Flagler Avenue.

But the project intends to be more than just parking. New condos, restaurants and other features are also part of what’s being referred to as the Flagler Commons project.

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Barsottelli and his wife, Melissa, presented the project at last week's City Commission workshop.

The idea is for the city to lease or sell the Jessamine Avenue property, which currently provides 28 parking spaces, to Barsottelli, who owns the property on the corner of Flagler Avenue and Cooper Street, west of the existing parking lot.

“We’re your nearest neighbor with the largest adjacent property, and we’re eager to assist,” part of Barsottelli’s presentation read.

By annexing the two lots, the space would provide for just over 100 cars, according to Barsottelli.

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“I see how the city is booming,” Barsottelli said at the workshop. “I have been witness to that. And it is incredible the amount of people we receive in holidays.”

The Barsottellis are Edgewater residents who have worked in New Smyrna Beach for the past five years. They are Realtors with Collado Real Estate on Cooper Street.

The project would not stop with an expanded parking lot.

Barsotelli proposed building a subterranean garage (adding even more parking spaces), as well as an entire structure consisting of nine townhomes and an open-air space for restaurants and other retail shops.

The residential units would cover the parking area and would be “high-end" and "3,000 square feet” in size.

The first phase of the project would expand surface parking, which, according to Barsottelli, could be done by summer 2024, if the project is approved.

The proposed timeline projects that the other steps would be completed through 2028, according to Barsottelli’s presentation.

“I think when the public and the private sector come together is when we shine as a city,” Barsottelli said.

City to decide whether to lease or sell Jessamine Avenue property

City Manager Khalid Resheidat said that while the city could benefit from the much-needed extra parking in an important business area of the city, the details must still be worked out.

“Whether through a lease process or through a sell process, at this point we have not decided which option we would recommend to the commission,” Resheidat said. “There is some complexity there. If we lease the site, he is going to build a two-level parking garage. We will gain quite a few (parking) spaces … but in the meantime, there are a lot of legal issues that we have to iron out before we move further.”

There is currently no charge to use the parking lot on Jessamine Avenue, which has been a public parking space since the 1990s, according to Resheidat.

Commissioner Randy Hartman praised the Barsottellis for “doing their due diligence,” and making the project “aesthetically pleasing and appropriate.”

Hartman also mentioned the public's response on social media urging the City Commission to deny the project.

“It’s not really whether or not we are allowing it to happen, it is probably going to happen anyway,” Hartman said. “Our only involvement is whether we include the property we own for parking to create additional spaces on top of what’s already there.”

Commissioner Valli Perrine asked Barsottelli if he could move forward with the project without leasing or buying the city property.

“Yes. We would love to do it together. Together we can do more,” he said. “We can do five condos, and we can have 45 (parking spots) … it would solve a big problem and look better if we do something combined.”

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The next step is to bring the idea before the City Commission again for a decision on whether to approve a lease or sell agreement with Barsottelli.

“We have not done any public-private partnership in the past, so this is something new,” Resheidat said. “The devil is in the details … we will be looking at this very closely to make sure we secure our interest.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 'Flagler Commons' in NSB would bring parking, restaurants and retail