JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A brand-new 2,000-space parking garage is under construction at Jacksonville International Airport.
However, plans indicate that the multi-million dollar project won’t include a fire suppression system.
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That decision comes just months after a massive fire ripped through the airport’s Hourly Garage, damaging dozens of vehicles.
Traveler Tom Grehl’s car was parked there that night.
“My car was here for that. Couldn’t have been handled any better. I had to pick it up a week later. I was on the top floor where the fire didn’t harm anything,” Grehl said.
Jacksonville International Airport Hourly Parking Garage Fire: Timeline of events
Grehl told Action News Jax he was out of town but was aware of the fire.
“I have cameras in my car, so I was able to see the fire around my car, but there was smoke everywhere,” he said.
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Despite the close call, Grehl is confident in the Jacksonville Aviation Authority’s (JAA) decision.
“I’m sure they’ve done their due diligence. I’m sure they’re following the code,” Grehl said.
Renderings obtained by Action News Jax show lighting poles on top of the new garage.
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But the plans do not reflect updated standards from the National Fire Protection Association, which now requires sprinklers in all new parking garages nationwide.
When asked if cost was factored into the decision and how they would respond to concerns that sprinklers should be part of the design, JAA did not respond.
Airport spokesman Michael Stewart said the new garage won’t have sprinklers because Florida building code does not require them for garages with fewer than 12,000 spaces. The new facility falls about 10,000 spaces below that threshold.
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