A long-planned parking garage in downtown Huntsville is now set to begin construction.

The city council on Thursday night approved a $14.3 million contract to build a six-level parking garage at Holmes Avenue and Greene Street. The space is currently a surface parking lot across Greene Street from the Times Building.

The garage has been a part of the council's downtown development plans for several months and expected to address anticipated tightening parking issues in the area going forward.

A rendering by Huntsville architects Matheny Goldman of a $14 million parking deck at Holmes Avenue and Greene Street in downtown Huntsville approved Nov. 21, 2019, by the city council.

The ground floor will have about 6,900 square feet of retail development – similar to the Clinton Avenue parking garage -- while the upper five floors will contain 485 parking spaces. The facility will also have a decorative façade.

Ricky Wilkinson, general services director for the city of Huntsville, said the contract also includes traffic improvements at the parking garage at Lincoln Street and Holmes Avenue as well as decorative streetscape, repaving and crosswalks.

The contractor, Bailey-Harris Construction Co., will have a year to build the facility once work begins.

The retail areas will be initially designed for three tenants, Wilkinson said, but changes can be made if necessary once bids are awarded. The final build-out of the retail spaces won’t occur until a tenant is identified.