New building (adjacent to the train tracks) and how it will look with the current configuration of the 300 East Main Street property. Source: Main Street Partners
By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer
The first of five major projects in downtown Carrboro won approval from the town’s Board of Aldermen Tuesday night, but only after a lengthy debate about how the project will affect parking for other businesses in the area.
Dubbed “Phase A,†the new project is a five-story, 48,000-square-foot building and pedestrian plaza on the site now occupied by Archer Graphics.
The development is the first phase of Main Street Partners overall plan to redevelop most of the southern side of East Main Street from the railroad tracks to the building now occupied by Performance Bicycle Shop.
Once built, the brick, steel and glass structure will be the tallest building in Carrboro, with the top section reaching 72 feet. It will face a larger plaza envisioned for the area that is now the VisArt and Cats Cradle parking lot.
Appearing before the aldermen Tuesday night, Laura van Sant of Main Street Partners, the project’s developers, said the building was originally part of the overall plan, which includes rebuilding the shopping center now occupied by VisArt, Amante’s Pizza, Cat’s Cradle and the ArtsCenter, along with construction of a hotel complex on the site of the bike shop.
Van Sant said the idea was to peel off that project from the overall plan to get the project moving.
“We’re not doing this because we’re going to do this building and quit,†she told the board. “It’s simply a way to get something on the ground as quickly as possible.â€
Elevated view of new building from Main Street side. Source: Main Street Partners
Alderman Alex Zaffron, who spearheaded an effort to increase commercial space mainly through building up and redeveloping downtown, said he was glad to be able to vote for it.
“I’m delighted to see this come before us before I am out of here,†Zaffron, who has said he will not seek re-election, said.
Alderman Randee Haven O’Donnell said while she’s happy about the new building, she’s also waiting for the day when the shopping center, which was built for a Piggly-Wiggly, is redeveloped.
“I’ll be delighted to kiss Piggly-Wiggly goodbye,†she said. “It’s long overdue.â€
But Nathan Milian, representing merchants at Carr Mill Mall, said that Main Street Partners’ plans to use a gravel parking lot next door, presently leased to the town, falls short of what’s needed to ensure the project doesn’t hurt nearby businesses.
“Think carefully about the impact,†Milian urged the board. The building, he said, and the loss of the 35-space town lot worsens an already difficult parking situation.
Alderman Jacquie Gist agreed and suggested that Main Street Partners be able to provide adequate parking for the building before the town grants a Certificate of Occupancy. A motion to that effect failed to get a second.
Van Sant said that the parking problems would only be temporary as the rest of the development, which she said will include ample parking, is phased in.
Alderman Joal Hall Broun said that the difficulties over parking were outweighed by a sizeable addition to the non-residential tax rolls and by the opportunity to develop a brownfield site — something she didn’t think was likely when talk about developing downtown started. She also praised the idea of a covered bus stop and a bus turn-out lane on Main Street in front of the project. Noting that news reports say some Wake County shopping centers have refused to allow bus service, Broun said the covered shelter shows “an enlightenment that some of our cities to the east are still working on.â€
Before approval, aldermen asked van Sant to work with the town to improve the width of the sidewalk in front of the gravel lot at 200 East Main Street.
The building is just one of several planned for downtown. Later this summer, the Board of Aldermen is scheduled to review plans for Alberta, a mixed-use development on the old farmers’ market site on Roberson Street. Other projects still in the planning phase are the full redevelopment project for the 300 EastMain Street properties and a plan for a mixed-use development on the site of the former Andrews-Riggsbee hardware building.
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