Garage at Lucerne Medical Plaza sinking, but reason unclear

ORLANDO, Fla. — Patients at Lucerne Medical Plaza in Orlando has to be dropped off and shuttled to their appointments in wheelchairs because the parking garage is sinking.

The two-story structure sits next to a small lake that some say is a sinkhole that’s filled with water, but it’s unclear what’s causing the pilings of the parking structure to fail.

The parking garage is the main parking area for the six-story medical facility, which is home to about a half dozen doctors and several rehab and treatment clinics.

“It was not safe for any kind of parking activity. The property owner saw that (and) actually took some proactive steps to shut down the parking garage and provide valet service,” said Mike Rhodes of Orlando Code Enforcement.

Holladay Properties, the owner, made a valet service available to patients, and Access Lynx brought patients to other parking lots to get to their vehicles.

The building’s owners plan to have the garage torn down.

“They’ve submitted their application for demolition on Dec. 22. It will probably be issued in a couple of weeks,” said Rhodes.

The cost to tear down the structure will be in the hundreds of thousands, and rebuilding a new garage is likely to run in the millions.

Cox Media Group