Roanoke Proposes Free Downtown Parking Options

Downtown operators should watch council action on meter removal and free garage parking that would phase in over coming months.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Remote Work

Empty diagonal street parking bays along a brick downtown curb with a concrete garage pillar and ridgeline beyond the rooftops. — Park Roanoke has proposed removing downtown parking meters and offering free first-hour and Sunday parking in city garages, pending council approval. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would free downtown parking make you more likely to visit Roanoke's downtown?

Park Roanoke has proposed removing downtown parking meters and offering free parking in city-owned garages and surface lots, with changes phased in over coming months pending council approval. Downtown Roanoke already has more than 9,000 parking spaces, and the city plans to manage existing spaces rather than add new ones.

Why it matters

For downtown operators, parking access shapes customer traffic and employee commuting costs, so meter removal and free first-hour and Sunday parking could change how shoppers and workers reach storefronts. The proposal comes as the city focuses on better use of its existing supply rather than new construction.

Downtown Roanoke contains more than 9,000 parking spaces. Park Roanoke's proposal would make the first hour free in its garages and offer free Sunday parking in city-owned garages and surface lots.

The players

Park Roanoke

Park Roanoke is the city's downtown parking operator, responsible for managing garages, surface lots, and metered parking that serve downtown businesses.

Shadwell Properties

Shadwell Properties is a Roanoke real estate company that bought the condemned garage property at 33 Salem Avenue in May and is working to secure it.

The details

Park Roanoke proposes removing downtown parking meters and replacing paid street parking with free options in city garages. The first hour would be free in Park Roanoke garages, and Sundays would be free in city-owned garages and surface lots. Because the changes would be phased in over the coming months, businesses would see the effect gradually rather than all at once, and only after council approval.

Shadwell Properties bought the property at 33 Salem Avenue in May.
Proposed parking changes would be phased in over the coming months, pending council approval.
Repairs at the condemned garage could take six to 12 months.

Market Landscape

The city's plan to manage its existing downtown parking supply rather than build more places the proposal within an optimization approach. The move would shift how Roanoke's downtown parking revenue and access are structured across its more than 9,000 spaces.

Downtown operators should watch whether the first-hour free parking and Sunday free parking reach council approval, since those would change customer and employee access costs. Businesses near the condemned garage at 33 Salem Avenue should factor in six to 12 months of repair work that could reduce nearby spaces.

The takeaway

Track the council vote on Park Roanoke's proposal, since phased implementation means early changes could arrive gradually. Operators near 33 Salem Avenue should plan around a repair timeline of six to 12 months while the garage remains condemned.