Huddled under umbrellas, Annapolis officials gathered in a steady drizzle yesterday to inaugurate the construction of the long-awaited Gotts Court Parking Garage.

Mayor Alfred A. Hopkins and Alderman John Hammond, R-Ward 1, stepped gingerly into the mud and heaved a few shovels full of wet dirt at the 11:30 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony.

Construction of the multilevel parking structure behind the Arundel Center on Calvert Street began several weeks ago. The city awardeda $4.2 million contract to Omni Construction Co. of Washington to build the 540-space garage.

Though 10 levels, the garage will be no more than 32 feet high, significantly lower than both the Arundel Center and other office buildings on West Street. The construction is expected to take a year.

Annapolis sold $5.9 million in long-term construction bonds last year to finance the garage and renovations to the Truxtun Park swimming pool. The state contributed $1.6 million in exchange for the use of 125 parking spaces.