Downtown Raleigh parking deck opens

The deck is part of the Green Square development at McDowell and Jones streets. Another 400 parking spaces will open when the new wing of the Museum of Natural Sciences, named the Nature Research Center, opens later this year.

While employees of several state agencies are assigned to park in the deck, 110 hourly parking spaces will be available for visitors.

The $17 million deck features LED lighting, a 20,000-gallon cistern to collect rainwater for irrigating state property downtown, 23 electric car chargers, a design that maximizes natural lighting inside, energy-efficient elevators and devices to track energy consumption and gauge savings, officials said.