Raleigh’s First Automated Robotic Parking Garage

Amid DTR’s parking debates, a robotic garage is taking shape.

With Downtown parking prices and policies sparking plenty of recent debate, Raleigh may have found a new way to take the headache out of finding a spot: robots. Enter North Carolina’s first underground robotic parking garage, now under construction as part of phase 2 of mixed-use development City Gateway.

Consider this: Urban drivers spend an average of 17 hours a year searching for parking. Talk about a time suck. Slated to open in Q1 2027, the two-level facility aims to give drivers some of that time back while accommodating a whopping 228 vehicles—twice the capacity of a conventional deck of the same size—minus the endless circling, tight turns and parking-deck headaches. Bonus: Lower operating costs, 24/7/365 remote monitoring, and less worry about someone dinging your door.

Developed in partnership with AUTOParkit, the fully automated system is designed to consume up to 60% less energy than conventional parking garages. And with no need for ramps, drive aisles or pedestrian walkways, its smaller footprint makes room for retail, restaurants and City Gateway’s central public plaza—built atop the garage at sidewalk level along Kindley Street. 

So how does it work? You pull into one of two loading bays, kick off your parking session and step out. From there, the system takes the wheel—literally—no circling a nine-story deck or uneasy parking maneuvers required. Instead, a lift whisks your vehicle down into the storage area, where it’s shuttled into its designated stall and tucked away. Advanced reservation capabilities are being looked into as well, in an attempt to “fit with the elevated parking experience we are targeting, especially associated with scheduled special events,” says SFLA Development Manager Asher McGlothlin.

The deck will accommodate nearly all cars, SUVs and pickups, with the exception of oversize vehicles. And EV drivers get an added perk: All 228 spaces are designed to accommodate charging. Plug it in and the system charges it up before sliding it into storage. When you want your car back, simply request it via the app for an average retrieval time of three minutes from request to loading-bay delivery.

While pricing is still TBD, developers say the goal is to stay competitive with other Downtown decks. The technology does support dynamic pricing used in other automated decks nationwide, but McGlothlin says they do not currently plan to use that capability. A peek at automated garages in other cities offers a glimpse of what Raleigh drivers might expect. In West Hollywood and Hoboken, New Jersey, rates are competitive with nearby public decks—if not slightly easier on the wallet. But how exactly pricing will break down in Raleigh remains to be seen—though City Gateway residents will be offered monthly permit parking at market rates.

The real test will come when everyone wants their keys at once. McGlothlin says the system can retrieve multiple vehicles simultaneously, and users can request their car ahead of time—with on-site ambassadors helping manage the flow during peak periods and special events. And should the robots go on strike, a backup generator keeps the deck operational during power outages. 

There’s a sustainability play here to boot. Transportation accounts for ~52% of Raleigh’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the city’s Community Climate Action Plan. And McGlothlin hopes the garage’s EV charging infrastructure will encourage more drivers to make the switch.

“Automation was chosen early in design because of what it lets us do on this site,” says SFLA Principal Barry Buckman, allowing them to showcase innovative ways of tackling climate issues, and also some of the development issues seen in an urban landscape.

And with driverless taxis already making moves in NC, the garage is designed with the future in mind—though, despite the ever-churning Waymo rumor mill, there’s still no planned partnership in place. “We’ve been in contact with Waymo and some other auto-taxi-type services to make sure that what we put in place now can accommodate them in the future, if that’s a direction they want to go,” says Buckman.

Ultimately, it’s a big step for the future of a city where parking is almost always top of mind. As Raleigh’s first fully automated parking facility, people will be paying for a different kind of experience, says McGlothlin. Will robots solve Downtown’s parking headaches? Only time will tell. But one thing’s certain: Raleigh’s parking game is about to reach a whole new (underground) level.