GEICO Garage is connected via a skywalk to Orlando’s largest sports and event venue, Amway Center, and is one of the largest parking garages in downtown Orlando.   

The Amway Center is home to professional sports teams including the NBA’s Orlando Magic. In a single year, about 225 events and 1.3 million patrons are hosted by the center, making convenient parking a critical concern. 

This design-build project included an eight-story parking garage that accommodates just over 1,800 vehicles and contains access to an elevated pedestrian walkway connected to the Amway Center. The parking structure also boasts electric vehicle charging stations, parking for people with disabilities and reversible lanes that direct the flow of traffic one way or the other, depending on whether drivers are arriving or leaving. Carefully designed speed ramps allow the entire structure to be emptied within 30 minutes.

The project team was challenged to create innovative ways to minimize the project’s impact on the environment, and as a result of upfront planning, the GEICO Garage achieved LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Sustainable elements included extra recycling of construction debris, engineered systems to prevent pollution, preferred parking for environmentally friendly vehicles and bicycle parking.

True to form, PCL didn’t simply “pave paradise,” but focused on sustainably creating something that was highly functional and attractive, resulting in an effective project that met the City’s vision and the needs of the community.