KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Demolition of Knoxville‘s Pryor Brown Garage, thought to be one of the oldest parking structures in America, may soon begin following approval from the city.

A City of Knoxville spokesperson said Monday that the owner of the garage has been granted a demolition permit.

The century-old garage is a four-story brick structure which has been vacant, deteriorating, and has been mostly missing a roof for several years,. The garage is located on a block bounded by Gay Street, Cumberland Avenue, Market Street and Church Avenue.

The demolition is expected to take about a week and is valid for one year. The owners can proceed with the demolition at the time of their choosing once they coordinate with the City on approving a traffic safety plan.

During the demolition, the east-side lane on Market Street beside the garage and the south-side (eastbound) lane on Church Avenue will be closed, including the section of the sidewalks.

In the news release, the City of Knoxville had no legal option for denying a demolition permit for the structure. They only asked for the proposed demolition to be done with safety and compliance.

“Pryor Brown Garage is not protected by a historic overlay zoning, and a mandatory 60-day wait period for demolition of an unprotected historical structure expired months ago in this case,” the news release stated.

Owners of the property are limited by a City Council prohibition on using the footprint of the existing garage for additional surface parking, which was put in place by a previous Council during Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero’s tenure.