Depot Lot / Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

FAYETTEVILLE — Officials will break ground on the replacement parking deck in downtown Fayetteville at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10.

The ceremony will take place at the site for the new deck in the parking lot at the northwest corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue.

The event marks the start of construction for the project, which will replace the 290-space lot across the street known locally as the Walton Arts Center parking lot. That lot is set to be removed and replaced with an outdoor park and plaza called The Ramble as part of the cultural arts corridor project.

The new, five-story deck will include about 330 parking spaces, a city police substation, and some privately owned office and retail space.

Parking deck design concept by Olsson, Inc. (see more images)

Once construction of the deck is complete, removal of the parking lot across the street will begin to make way for the outdoor park and plaza, which will include a gathering and event lawn, garden spaces, a promenade and more.

Money for the project will come from the bond issue that voters approved in 2019. The bond measure stipulated that redevelopment of the arts center lot could not begin until all of the lot’s 290 parking spaces are replaced and ready for use.

Officials have said the new deck could be open by January 2023.

The new park and plaza is part of what’s called the Upper Ramble, which includes the arts corridor areas north of Center Street. Construction of the Lower Ramble began in September 2020, and includes improvements to the Fay Jones Woods area, the Razorback Greenway and West Avenue next to the Fayetteville Public Library. The Lower Ramble work is scheduled to be complete this spring.

» See all of our coverage of the downtown parking deck