New parking deck coming to downtown Durham

DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A one-acre parking lot in downtown Durham will become a multi-story parking deck.

It's an effort to help accommodate the Bull City's rapid growth. The building boom has become a resurgence of sorts that will eventually drive more people, business, and money into downtown - including potential customers for Emmett Ward, Owner of Ward Furniture Company.

"I think it's good. It kind of makes me enthusiastic about it," said Ward.

But with that growth are growing pains.

"There is a lack of parking for downtown Durham," said Ward.

Especially now, since construction is set to begin this fall on the parking lot across from the downtown McDonald's.

What is now a one-acre lot of 107 spaces will transform into a parking garage with retail and office spaces. It will be seven floors high to handle Durham's parking crunch.

"Which will be good in two years when it's there," said Kayla Zimmerman. "But not so great right now."

Zimmerman is a hair stylist at Rock, Paper, Scissors salon. She used to park in the lot until it closed.

Now she and Ward are forced to park in the city's other parking lots and garages.

Zimmerman parks at the Chapel Hill Street garage. She says she has to leave the house earlier to get there before it fills up.

The Chapel Hill Street garage is one of three downtown parking garages the city recommends people use until the $23 million project is complete.

The garage will have more than 600 parking spaces and will be finished in early 2019.