Roswell residents finally know where the City’s new parking deck will be located! At their March 11, 2024, City Council meeting, Mayor and Council approved the location for a parking deck in the historic downtown district at the corner of Green St. and Hwy. 9, across from the new Southern Post development. City Council approved moving forward with the parking deck plan, as well as plans to make improvements on nearby roadways to enhance access and safety.
In November 2022, voters overwhelmingly approved $20 million for the City to build a parking deck in Historic Roswell to help support businesses in the area.
“We promised Roswell voters that we would use bond monies to invest in a parking deck in downtown Roswell, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” said Mayor Wilson. “The addition of the parking deck, along with improvements to nearby roads and enhanced connectivity offered by the City Hall trails project, will vastly improve the quality of experience for anyone visiting our vibrant downtown.”
In recent years, the City of Roswell’s downtown historic district has become a popular regional destination for dining, shopping, special events, and tourism. Limitations of the City’s historic street network have resulted in mobility and parking challenges. In April 2021, a parking study suggested that a well-located garage with sufficient capacity could help keep vehicles out of the historic center, encourage longer visits, and invite more people to enjoy and patronize businesses in Roswell’s downtown.
The addition of the parking deck, along with improvements to nearby roads and enhanced connectivity offered by the City Hall trails project, will vastly improve the quality of experience for anyone visiting our vibrant downtown.”
Mayor Kurt Wilson
The City and its consultant, Jacobs Engineering, conducted a thorough and objective assessment of eight potential sites. Each site was evaluated across 17 separate criteria in three categories: Physical, Mobility, and Economic Development. (Detailed scoring information is available in the Parking Deck Site Assessment Report)
The site scoring the highest and identified as the most preferred is located between Alpharetta St. (Hwy. 9) to the east and Green Street to the west, offering sufficient size and geometry to support an efficient garage design, with potential for additional development and public space. The preferred site features:
- Ease of ingress and egress: From a mobility standpoint, access to/from Alpharetta Street via a new, signalized intersection at the new Southern Post will support easy and safe access to the garage while keeping traffic off the smaller neighborhood streets.
- Economic development benefits: The location yields proximity to more commercial businesses within a ¼-mile walk, while still ensuring access to restaurants on the northern end of Canton Street.
- Close proximity to Canton Street businesses: The location of the parking deck will create connectivity between Hwy. 9, City Hall Trails and parking, and the larger downtown Roswell area.
Green Street Improvement Plan
Monday night’s City Council vote also authorized the City to move forward with plans to enhance Green Street. The Green Street Improvement Plan proposes modifications to Green Street to provide safer, easier access to the parking deck for both drivers and pedestrians. Modifications include making Green Street one way southbound and incorporating a wide, bricked-paved multi-use trail and improved lighting and landscaping along the street.
The plan also calls for converting Plum Tree Street (which is currently a one-way road between Canton Street and Green Street) to a brick-paved multi-use trail that provides direct access to Canton Street .
Next steps for the City include soliciting and choosing a design-build firm for the parking deck project. The City will be able to share more information with the public regarding the exact number of parking spots, the architecture and materials used for the project, and other specific details in the future.
Presentations
More Information
To learn more about the City of Roswell’s Bond Program, visit www.RoswellGov.com/Bond