TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video was published in November 2022.
People who are summoned for jury duty in Smith County will have to change where they park as crews work on the county's bond-funded parking garage.
Money for the new parking garage was approved through the November 2022 bond election along with funding for a new Smith County courthouse.
Over the years, jurors have parked in the large lot on East Ferguson Street, but now jurors have been asked to park in the Fair Plaza Parking Garage, located at 208. S. College Avenue.
“The City of Tyler is graciously helping us solve a big parking issue by opening up the fourth floor of the Fair Plaza Garage for Smith County jurors,” Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said. “We appreciate them working with us on this important project.”
The walking distance from the parking garage to the Smith County Courthouse, located at 100 N. Broadway Avenue, is slightly shorter compared to the lot on Ferguson Street. All spaces in the Fair Plaza Garage are free, except for the reserved spaces. Smith County is asking that jurors park on the third and fourth floors.
The city of Tyler has agreed to allow Smith County to have some of the metered parking for visitor parking and additional handicap parking around the courthouse and the annex building.
Construction for the county’s new voter-approved, bond-funded parking garage will begin in late October. Building the parking garage is expected to take 10 months.
Demolition of the properties on the east side of the downtown square will happen during construction of the garage. Building the new courthouse will start after the garage is complete, Smith County said in a statement.
“The decision to build on the east side of the square was based on limiting interruption to downtown businesses,” Franklin said. “We are committed to work alongside city officials and our construction team to keep the lines of communication open with the public and all of our downtown businesses and residents.”
When the construction displaces parking for county employees at the annex building and other buildings, employees will take over the juror parking lot.
“We want to start getting the word out now about the juror parking move so people will be used to the idea well before the lot is no longer available to them,” Franklin said.