Public welcome to park inside City of Clarksville’s new new Downtown Parking Garage

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - The City of Clarksville and Clarksville Parking Commission have jointly formalized the Grand Opening of the new, 587-vehicle space Downtown Clarksville Parking Garage.

Motorists are now welcome to enter and use the new eight-story facility at First and Commerce streets.

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts and the Clarksville Parking Commission chaired by Andy Kean made it all official on Monday morning, November 18, 2024.

The new City Parking Garage is a key anchor of Historic Downtown Clarksville redevelopment, as the City anticipates a new Clarksville Performing Arts Center on Franklin Street, and accommodates greater traffic volume and commerce in the City's Central Business Improvement District.

"It's another beautiful day in our City, as we dedicate the First Street Parking Garage for the City of Clarksville," said Mayor Pitts in remarks before an audience on First Street at the Parking Garage entrance, prior to the ribbon-cutting.

"Our downtown is enjoying a renaissance. Private investment in the commercial and business enterprise is growing, and there is no greater concentration of locally-owned businesses than in this six-to-eight-block area of our community.

"Business owners and operators in downtown risk capital, and they also risk their future every single day when they come to work, and open up opportunities for our citizens to work, and make us unique - because historic downtown Clarksville makes us unique, and not just four exits off the interstate," Mayor Pitts said.

"As we look toward the summer of 2025, stay tuned. The best is yet to come. We'll be breaking ground just up the hill from here for a Performing Arts Center, thanks to the foresight and the funding by the Clarksville City Council," he said.

"The City of Clarksville is very pleased to provide this magnificent parking structure for employees, visitors, and others, to have a clean, safe, and secure place to park. It is very well-lit at night, and you'll be able to park here and move efficiently to any activities and appointments.

"Dedicating a Parking Garage may not seem all that significant, but it is a critical part of the infrastructure for our downtown. Parking is part and parcel to a thriving downtown … plus, it just looks cool!" said Mayor Pitts.

The new garage may be entered from Commerce Street, First Street, or through the Cumberland Parking Garage on the Second Street level.

A pedestrian bridge connects the new garage to Franklin Street at the Roxy Theatre. Also, there is a vehicular connection bridge between the new Garage and pre-existing Cumberland Garage.

Please note that the lower level of the new garage will be permanently reserved for Public Safety vehicles, and will be labeled, "Emergency Vehicles Only."

Further, Spring Alley running adjacent to the new garage, which has been closed through the construction period, is now accessible again.

Contractor for the new Parking Garage has been TRC Construction Services, Inc., of Brentwood, Tennessee. Work began on the project in December 2022 when a design-build contract was signed. Substantial completion of the construction came in November 2024.

According to the City Municipal Properties Department, the Parking Garage consists of 650 pieces of precast concrete that were shipped and assembled on site, with a final field concrete topping that makes for much smoother transitions, and no interior columns.

Traffic coatings on critical areas of the Garage, and a sealant throughout the entire Garage will help maintain the structural longevity.

An added convenience of the new Garage, and a sign of the times, is the inclusion of 16 electric vehicle charging stations installed throughout levels 0-2.

Michael Palmore, Director of City Building & Facilities Maintenance, said the price to park in the new Garage will be consistent with the pre-existing Cumberland Garage, which is $1 an hour, or $6 for all-day parking. This Garage pricing is lower than the cost of parking on the street.

"It was also decided by the Parking Commission to expand on the parking rates, and break them out by the hour," Palmore said. "This change will allow the user to pay for one-, two-, or even three-hour blocks of parking time, giving you the power to choose the most suitable option for your parking needs."

Palmore said he, his staff and the Parking Commission listened to the public when designing the new Parking Garage, and placed a major emphasis on public safety, cleanliness, convenience, and ease of use.

To view the Parking Garage Grand Opening ceremonies, click here: First Street Parking Garage Grand Opening 2024

Attached photos: City of Clarksville Parking Garage Grand Opening

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