Downtown Somerville's New Parking Deck Plays by Different Rules
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
Somerville's newest public parking opened Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. It is a 229-space deck behind the Edge II apartments on West Main Street, built by the Borough of Somerville and developer Jack Morris as a public-private partnership, according to TAPinto Somerville. The borough does not operate it, so its rates and rules are separate from the municipal lots. The deck charges every day, Sundays included, and its shortest rate costs more than a full three-hour stay in a borough lot. It adds capacity on the west end of Main Street. For most of this fall's downtown calendar, it is not the cheapest place to leave a car.
You won't see the public entrance from Main Street. Drivers come in on South Davenport Street from West Main Street or Veterans Memorial Drive, across from the ShopRite, and turn into the driveway the deck shares with Chase Bank. For GPS, TAPinto suggests the bank's address, 6 South Davenport St. Directional signs were due to go up on nearby streets in the weeks after opening.
The South Doughty Street entrance belongs to residents of The Edge at Main. Public parking is not available from that side.
The deck is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and takes credit cards only. It charges $4 for up to three hours, $8 for up to five and $12 for up to 24. Paid parking is enforced every day, including Sundays.
The baseline is downtown's own parking system. According to the Downtown Somerville Alliance parking guide, on-street meters cost $1 an hour with a three-hour maximum. The four main municipal lots, Lots 1, 2, 4 and 6, cost $0.50 an hour, and you prepay for as long as you plan to stay. The lots are enforced Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and parking in them is free on Sundays. Meters and lots take coins and cards, but the lots don't accept American Express, and both have a one-hour minimum for card payments.
Here is the same visit priced three ways, using the posted rates as of October 2026:
| Length of visit | Borough lot, Mon–Sat | Street meter | Edge II deck |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | $1.00 | $2.00 | $4 |
| 3 hours | $1.50 | $3.00 | $4 |
| 5 hours | $2.50 | Over the 3-hour limit | $8 |
| Any length, Sunday | Free | Free | $4 and up |
The borough's own 2025 holiday schedule confirms that Sunday parking is always free in all municipal lots and on municipal streets. The deck's tiers make the most sense for long stays, and for anyone who wants a guaranteed space on the west end of Main Street when the lots are busy. Five hours there costs $8. That's more than three times the $2.50 a borough lot would charge, but it is one payment with no need to come back and feed a meter.
Downtown's remaining 2026 events fall on different days of the week and at different hours. That changes which parking rules apply to each one. The Downtown Somerville Alliance lists three events between now and the end of the year.
The Division Street Pedestrian Plaza runs between Main Street and Veterans Memorial Drive East. In a September 2026 council document, the borough named it a preferred location for street performances. Two of the three events are anchored there.
The deck is on the west end of Main Street. That's where downtown gained one of its newest businesses this year. NJ.com reported that Moka & Co., a Yemeni coffee café at 15 W. Main St., was set to open at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, and Patch reported it open at that address on Sept. 10. The deck is just off South Davenport Street, a short walk from the café.
East Main Street is where this year's other changes happened. In April, MyCentralJersey reported that Middlemist Meadery had opened at 30 E. Main St., describing it as Somerset County's first meadery, with a tasting room in the space Arusuvai Indian Restaurant used to occupy. A few doors down, at 46 E. Main St., Salted Lime is preparing to close after eight years downtown. Its final day of service is Friday, Oct. 30, the day after the Spooktacular, and the restaurant is asking guests to use any outstanding gift cards before then, according to Garden State Neighbors. The same report says a new restaurant is already preparing to take over the space, but it hasn't been named.
For a weeknight dinner or a last visit to Salted Lime on the east side of downtown, the borough lots and meters are still the cheaper way to park. The deck works best for a long afternoon that starts on West Main Street, or for times when every municipal space nearby is taken.
The borough is changing how parking works in other ways too. At its Sept. 8, 2026 meeting, the Borough Council considered Resolution 26-0908-275, a contract with ParkMobile by Arrive for a mobile parking payment system. The meeting record does not give a date for when app payments will start. Until they do, municipal meters and lots run on coins and cards. The same meeting included a presentation on parking in the Somerville Station area. The minutes also say the borough is preparing to take ownership of the station-area streets, along with parking enforcement there, under the redevelopment agreement.
Construction is also underway nearby. AvalonBay reported in April 2026 that construction on Avalon Somerville Station II, a 171-apartment building, began in the first quarter of the year, with completion projected for the third quarter of 2028. MyCentralJersey described this building as the final phase of the long effort to redevelop the old Somerville landfill. That schedule is the company's own estimate, not a recent update on construction progress.
For this fall, the posted rates are what count. Borough lots charge $0.50 an hour Monday through Saturday until 7 p.m. and are free on Sundays. The Edge II deck charges $4 and up every day of the week.
Questions about Somerville and the rest of Somerset County come up in plenty of conversations that have nothing to do with buying or selling. If you'd like to talk about what's changing downtown, including the new projects around the station, Lee Opperman is happy to share what he's seeing. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Get assistance in determining the current property value, crafting a competitive offer, writing and negotiating a contract, and much more. Contact me today.