As St. Petersburg voters begin to cast their ballots via mail, they will decide if the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort and Golf Club should build a parking garage.

  • Voters to decide fate of Vinoy parking garage 
  • Vinoy Resort and Golf Club looking to build parking garage
  • Garage would alleviate parking problems for guests and public

"The land that the parking garage will be built on is land that used to be owned by the city,” Kyle Parks, Spokesman for the Renaissance Vinoy, said. “In the 1980's there was a land swap with the city where the Vinoy gave the city land around the waterfront and got this land in return."

Deed restrictions say any changes to the property have to go to city wide referendum.

The garage would be a one-story, privately-financed structure with tennis courts on top. Parks said it would also help alleviate downtown parking problems. It would offer paid parking to the public.

"It’s going to add more than 200 parking spaces and that’s going to supply spaces for hotel guests--the hotel is often more than 90% full--and people from the public who come here for restaurants,” Parks said.

Some local residents said they will be voting yes on the referendum.

"I think we all know the parking situation is pretty bad already just trying to find a spot if you live here,” St. Petersburg resident Payton Cesare said. “Also it’s not coming out of our own pocket so I don’t know why people would vote against it if it’s not costing them anything."

The garage will cost $10 million and is part of the $50 million redesign project. The hotel is currently expanding and upgrading rooms, building new restaurants and opening a new spa and fitness center.

The election is November 7.