Where to Park in Downtown Roswell, the New Parking Deck, and Southern Post
Roswell just opened its first major downtown parking deck in over thirty years, Southern Post brought hundreds more spaces across the street, and Green Street is closed for six months. Here is everything you need to know about parking in downtown Roswell right now.
Roswell Pulse · Local LivingUpdated for the new parking deck era
Downtown Roswell parking has been a local complaint for decades. Anyone who has tried to find a spot on Canton Street on a Saturday afternoon, gotten stuck circling for fifteen minutes during Alive in Roswell, or driven away from the historic district frustrated and headed somewhere else entirely knows exactly what we mean. That era is, finally, ending. The City of Roswell officially opened its new 394 space downtown parking deck on May 4, 2026, just across the street from the new Southern Post mixed-use development which brings another 600 spaces to the corridor. For the first time in a generation, downtown Roswell has real parking infrastructure to support the kind of district it has become.
This guide breaks down everything: where the new deck is, how to get into it, what the parking pilot program means for your wallet, where Southern Post fits in, and where to park for events and the Saturday farmers market. We are also going to cover the on-street options that locals have used for years and the rules that are changing as part of the city’s new parking pilot. If you live here, you need this information. If you visit, you definitely need it.
Time-Sensitive Update · May 2026The new Roswell Downtown Parking Deck opened on May 4, 2026 and is currently free for everyone, residents and visitors alike, while Green Street is under construction for the next approximately six months. Take a ticket on entry even though it is free, since the city is using ticket data to study parking demand. Once Green Street construction wraps up later in 2026, the deck transitions to the city’s paid parking pilot program. Bookmark this page and we will keep it updated as rates and rules are announced.
I.The New Roswell Downtown Parking Deck
This is the big news. After years of planning, public hearings, and construction, the new Roswell Downtown Parking Deck opened on Monday, May 4, 2026, with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Mayor Mary Robichaux and a packed crowd of city officials, business owners, and residents who have wanted this thing for a very long time. The deck is the largest facility the City of Roswell has built since the current City Hall went up in the early 1990s. It was made possible by $20 million in bond funds approved by Roswell voters in November 2022 as part of a $179.6 million capital improvement bond package, and it represents a generational investment in downtown infrastructure.
The Roswell Downtown Parking Deck
1056 Alpharetta Street · 394 spaces · 3.5 levels · Currently free
The deck sits at the corner of Green Street and Alpharetta Street, also known as State Route 9 or Highway 9, directly across the street from the new Southern Post development. It is a 3.5 level structure with 394 spaces, two entrances, and three exits. Architecturally, the deck was designed to fit into the historic district aesthetic with a brick facade on all four sides, decorative parapets, tower-like corner stairwells, and large windows and openings to maximize natural light and airflow. It does not look like a typical concrete parking garage, which was very intentional given the proximity to Roswell’s historic district.
How to get in: the deck is accessible from Alpharetta Street via a connector road called Kevin Cash Memorial Drive, named in memory of Roswell Firefighter Kevin Cash who died in the line of duty on January 21, 2020. During Green Street construction, there is currently one entrance and two exits on Kevin Cash Memorial Drive. Turn onto Kevin Cash Memorial Drive from Alpharetta Street, use the entrance nearest to Green Street under the Parking sign, take a ticket at the entry gate, and the arm raises automatically. Hold onto your ticket because you may need it to exit.
How to get out: choose one of two exits on Kevin Cash Memorial Drive, either the exit nearest to Green Street, which is the same location as the entrance, or the exit nearest to Alpharetta Street. The deck uses License Plate Reader technology that automatically scans your plate and opens the exit gate. If the gate does not open, scan the barcode on your ticket at the exit terminal to release the gate. This is why you keep the ticket even though parking is currently free.
Key DetailEven though parking is free during Green Street construction, the city asks all users to take a ticket on entry. Ticket data is being collected as part of the Downtown Parking Pilot Program to help the city study demand and decide future operations. It is a small ask for free parking.
What Happens After Green Street Reopens
The Roswell City Council approved the Downtown Parking Pilot Program on March 9, 2026. The pilot is a phased effort that will help the city test approaches to managing demand and supporting access to downtown. Once Green Street construction wraps up later in 2026, the deck transitions into the paid pilot program. Under the version of the pilot approved earlier this spring, the deck is planned to be free on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and paid on nights and weekends, with parking fees set by the City Administrator using a dynamic pricing model that adjusts rates in real time based on demand, occupancy, and time of day.
A bit of context for residents who heard earlier promises about free parking for Roswell residents only. That was the original plan announced at the August 2025 groundbreaking. In March 2026, the city changed course because distinguishing residents from non-residents at scale across a city of nearly 100,000 people was deemed operationally unfeasible. The pilot program runs through the end of 2026, after which the city will evaluate the data and decide on long term operations. Whatever the final structure looks like, this article will be updated as rates and rules become finalized.
II.Southern Post Parking
Across the street from the new city deck is Southern Post, a $126 million mixed-use development that opened in phases over the last two years on the old Southern Skillet site at 1023 Alpharetta Street. The development includes 90,000 square feet of loft style office space, 40,000 square feet of retail space, 128 luxury apartments and 10 townhomes called Chandler Residences, a sky lounge, and crucially for our purposes here, a 600 space parking deck.
Southern Post Parking Deck
1023 Alpharetta Street · 600 spaces · Mixed retail, office, residential parking
Southern Post parking is intended primarily for the development’s tenants, customers, and residents, but the deck functions as practical parking infrastructure for anyone visiting the businesses inside Southern Post. That includes a growing roster of restaurants and retail like Belux Coffee Roasters, Azotea Cantina, Da Vinci’s Donuts, Grana, Bey Bistro, Amorino Italian gelato cafe, Cavina Med Spa, Sweathouz, and Watch Your Wrist, with additional tenants continuing to open as the development matures.
For someone parking at Southern Post, the practical advantage is that you are landing right in the middle of one of the more interesting new walkable corridors in Roswell. Two blocks from Canton Street, directly across from the new city deck, and surrounded by restaurants, coffee, and retail. Even if your destination is technically Canton Street and not Southern Post, parking here makes sense if you are also planning to grab coffee, drinks, or a meal at one of the Southern Post tenants.
Practical TipSouthern Post parking is most appropriate when you are actually visiting one or more Southern Post businesses. If you are only going to Canton Street and not stopping at Southern Post at all, the new city deck across the street is the more appropriate option, and during construction it is still free.
III.The Other Downtown Parking Options
Beyond the two new decks, downtown Roswell has a number of older parking options that locals have been using for years. Most of them remain free, though the city’s parking pilot is starting to introduce paid on-street parking on certain streets in the historic district. Here is the rundown of where to look first.
Roswell City Hall Parking Lot
38 Hill Street · Free · Surface lot
The City Hall parking lot remains the single best free parking option for downtown Roswell on most days. The lot is large, well lit, free of charge, and directly behind City Hall under the same oak trees that shade the Saturday farmers market. From the City Hall lot you are within a few minutes’ walk of Canton Street, the historic square, the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, and pretty much everything else downtown. On Saturday mornings during farmers market season the lot fills up early, sometimes by 9:30 a.m. during peach season, but the rest of the time it usually has plenty of space.
When It Fills UpSaturday mornings during farmers market season from April through November, weekend evenings during Music on the Hill in May through September, and the third Thursday of each summer month during Alive in Roswell.
On-Street Parking on Canton Street and the Historic District
Canton Street, Elizabeth Way, East Alley · Some now paid under pilot
The classic Canton Street experience is parallel parking on Canton itself or one of the side streets and walking the strip. This is still possible, but the parking pilot program is implementing on-street paid parking on Canton Street, Elizabeth Way, and East Alley as part of the same program that governs the deck. As of spring 2026, expect to see new pay stations and meters in these areas. Read posted signs carefully because rules are evolving as the pilot progresses.
Side Street Residential Parking
Side streets off Canton and Atlanta Streets · Free with restrictions
The residential streets that branch off Canton Street, Atlanta Street, and Mimosa Boulevard have long been popular for free parking when downtown lots and on-street spots fill up. Be careful here. Some streets are clearly signed as residential parking only or have time restrictions, and parking inappropriately in front of someone’s house is both bad neighborly behavior and a potential ticket. Read the signs, do not block driveways, and do not park overnight on residential streets unless signage explicitly allows it.
The Old Mill Park Lot
95 Mill Street · Free · Limited spaces
Old Mill Park is the trailhead for Vickery Creek Falls and the covered bridge, and it has its own small parking lot that is technically meant for park visitors. It is free, but it fills up quickly on weekends during peak hike weather, and you should not park here just to access Canton Street since it is a fairly long walk away. Use this lot if you are actually visiting the falls or hiking the Vickery Creek Trail.
IV.Green Street Construction: What You Need to Know
Right now the single biggest disruption to downtown Roswell traffic patterns is the Green Street Activation Plan, which kicked off the same day the new parking deck opened on May 4, 2026. The project requires a full closure of Green Street from Cherry Way to Alpharetta Street for approximately six months, and that closure is going to affect how you navigate downtown for the rest of 2026.
The project converts Green Street to a one-way southbound road, adds a brick-paved multi-use trail, installs new lighting and landscaping, and connects to a future trail extension along Plum Tree Street that will eventually link directly to Canton Street. When it is finished, Green Street is going to be one of the more pedestrian-friendly stretches in downtown Roswell, and it dramatically improves the connection from the new parking deck through to Canton Street. While construction is active, though, expect detours, occasional dust, and some confusion about how to access the area.
The good news is the city specifically waived parking deck fees during this construction window because they understood the disruption would already be hard on downtown businesses. Free parking in the new deck is partly meant to compensate for the fact that getting to certain businesses takes a few extra minutes during construction. Take advantage of it. Use the deck, walk to your destination, support the downtown businesses, and the whole thing wraps up by late 2026.
V.Parking for Specific Events and Occasions
Different downtown events have different parking dynamics. Here is the local playbook for the situations that come up most often.
Saturday Farmers Market
The Roswell Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon under the oak trees behind City Hall, April through November. The City Hall lot itself usually fills up by around 9:30 to 10 a.m. on peak Saturdays, especially during peach season in July. Your best move now is to use the new parking deck across Alpharetta Street as your default. It is a roughly five minute walk to the market, the deck is currently free, and you are basically guaranteed a space.
Alive in Roswell
Alive in Roswell takes place on the third Thursday of each month from April through October along Canton Street. This is one of the busier event nights of the year for downtown parking. The historical move was to arrive by 4:30 or 5 p.m. to grab a Canton Street side street spot, or park further out and walk. With the new parking deck open, the calculation has changed. Park in the deck, walk over to Canton Street, and skip the circling entirely. The deck is the single biggest improvement to Alive in Roswell parking in the history of the event.
Music on the Hill and City Hall Events
For events on the City Hall lawn including Music on the Hill on the second Friday of each month from May through September, the City Hall lot itself is the obvious first choice. If it is full, the new parking deck a block away on Alpharetta Street is your immediate backup, and it is close enough that you barely lose any walking time.
Restaurant and Bar Nights on Canton Street
For dinner or drinks on Canton Street any night of the week, the new parking deck is now your default first stop. Free during construction, paid evenings later under the pilot, but in either case it is faster, less stressful, and more reliable than circling Canton Street looking for a spot. The walk from the deck to most Canton Street destinations is under five minutes.
Vickery Creek and the Mill Trail
For Vickery Creek Falls and the Vickery Creek Trail, park at Old Mill Park at 95 Mill Street. The lot is small but it is the trailhead. On weekends during peak hike weather, arrive before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. for the best chance at a space.
VI.Practical Tips for Downtown Roswell Parking
A few things experienced Roswell residents have figured out about parking downtown that are worth passing along.
Use the deck even when you do not need to. While it is free during construction, just default to the new parking deck for anything downtown. Stop trying to find on-street parking. It is faster, easier, and always has space, and you are helping the city collect demand data that will inform smarter long-term parking policy.
Keep the ticket. The deck uses License Plate Reader technology that should automatically open the exit gate based on your plate, but if it does not, the barcode on the ticket is your backup. Do not throw it out. Stick it on your dashboard or in the cup holder.
Read the on-street signage carefully. The parking pilot is rolling out paid on-street parking on Canton Street, Elizabeth Way, and East Alley, with rules that are still evolving. Do not assume on-street parking is free anymore just because it always was. Read the signs every single time until the rules stabilize.
Walk more than you think you need to. Downtown Roswell is genuinely walkable. The historic district from City Hall through Canton Street to Southern Post is roughly a quarter mile end to end. Once you park, plan to walk between destinations rather than driving from one to the next. You will find more interesting things along the way, and you will not have to find parking twice.
Avoid Green Street as a navigation route until late 2026. Green Street is closed from Cherry Way to Alpharetta Street through approximately late 2026. Do not try to use Green Street as a shortcut. Use Alpharetta Street, Canton Street, Atlanta Street, and Mimosa Boulevard as your downtown circulation routes during construction.
Think about the deck as the new front door of downtown. The combination of the new city deck, Southern Post, and the future Green Street pedestrian connection is reshaping how downtown Roswell works. Once Green Street finishes and Plum Tree Street is converted to a brick-paved trail to Canton Street, you will be able to park at the deck and walk on a continuous pedestrian path right into the heart of the historic district. That changes the experience of downtown Roswell in a way most locals have not fully internalized yet.
“Roswell finally has a downtown parking solution that fits the downtown Roswell has become.”
VII.Why This Matters
The downtown Roswell parking story is bigger than just where to put your car. The new parking deck is the largest civic infrastructure project the city has built since City Hall in the early 1990s. The Southern Post development brought 600 additional spaces and a wave of new restaurants, retail, and residences to a corridor that was a tired strip mall just a few years ago. The Green Street Activation Plan converts a service street into a pedestrian-friendly corridor with a multi-use trail that connects directly to Canton Street. Taken together, these projects are quietly remaking downtown Roswell into the kind of walkable, accessible, mixed-use district that most Atlanta suburbs only talk about.
The frustrating part of being a downtown Roswell business or visitor for the last several years has been watching demand grow faster than infrastructure could keep up. Saturday market days got harder. Alive in Roswell got more crowded. New restaurants opened on Canton Street and made the parking situation worse, which then capped how much further the district could grow. The new parking deck breaks that ceiling. For the first time in a long time, downtown Roswell has the capacity to keep adding amenities and visitors without choking itself out on parking.
If you have not been downtown in the last few weeks, this is your sign. Come check it out. Park in the new deck, walk over to Southern Post for coffee or a cocktail, wander down Canton Street, stop at the Saturday market, and notice how much easier the entire experience is than it used to be. This is the version of downtown Roswell a lot of locals have been waiting for, and it is here.
