Make sure you don’t leave your car in the Georgia Mountains Center parking deck after Thursday evening, as the 28-year-old deck is about to be torn down.

City officials ask that all vehicles be removed from the downtown parking deck before 6 p.m. Thursday so that Optum Construction Group can being preparing the site for demolition.

During construction, Main Street will be open to one-way traffic leaving the square from Spring Street to Broad Street. For people going to the downtown square area, city officials recommend using Spring Street accessed via West Academy Street.

Parking will be available in other areas downtown during the six months construction of a new, 419-space parking deck is expected to take.

Parking areas will be available on Main Street and Maple Street at the corner of Jesse Jewell. The Hall County parking deck also will be available and accessible from Spring Street.

City officials also remind those visiting the downtown area that construction vehicles and workers will be in the area.

Designed by architect Steve Hill of Gainesville, the new, $6.85 million parking deck will extend over the entrance to the Georgia Mountains Center and will have brick accents fashioned in a pattern similar to that on sidewalks in the city’s downtown square.

Unlike the current deck, the yet-to-be-built, four-level deck is planned to allow growth to a six-level deck.

Questions or comments may be addressed to Jarrett Nash, the city’s project manager, at 770-538-4978.