By Hannah Sharpe
Carrboro Commons Staff Writer

Carrboro residents have always held that quirky, eclectic vibe defining their community close to their hearts. So when the biggest redevelopment project the town has ever faced proposed to alter that vibe, there were considerable concerns for residents to address.

The Carrboro Board of Aldermen decided to delay its decision to approve modifications to a conditional use permit for the 300 East Main Street renovation project after hearing many community concerns and questions at the project’s second public hearing Sept. 16. The board will vote based on more definitive conditions presented by Main Street Properties on Sept 30.

VIDEO:
Carrboro Commons staff writer Hannah Sharpe shot this video that portrays the sheer size of the 300 E. Main project, heading west down E. Main Street from Padgett Station to the railroad tracks. P.S. Someone else was driving.

The board approved the final measures of Phase A in June of last year, permitting the construction of a five-story building on the corner of Roberson and Main streets. Now, Main Street Properties, the company proposing the project, is seeking to add on a hotel, a five-story parking deck and 500,000 square feet of business space as Phase B of the project. Construction on Phase A is set to begin in November.

Alderman Lydia Lavelle said the board has been addressing the concerns from the community since opening up a public hearing for the proposal.

“It’s our duty to honestly engage in earnest conversation with the community and ultimately weigh in on the best decision to be made,” she said during a telephone interview.

At least ten residents, including N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, addressed the board at the Sept. 16 meeting, offering mixed approval of the project. Many residents are concerned that the project is “too big,” “too boxy” and not “Carrboro enough.”

Local architect Aggie Crews expressed concern over the types of businesses that will reside in the new spaces, including the Hilton Garden Inn that is proposed to stand where Performance Bike Shop is located.

“It looks pretty sharp,” said Woody Farmer of Charlotte as he looks over a plan for the 300 East Main Street redevelopment project on display at Carrboro Town Hall. Farmer is one of three owners of the Hilton Garden Inn that is part of the project. The plan shows the hotel to be built where Performance Bike Shop currently stands on Main Street. When asked about the hotel’s placement in proximity to UNC-Chapel Hill, Farmer said: “The idea is to have an affordable place for families to come to. There’s nothing else very affordable in this area.”

Staff Photo by Hannah Sharpe

“We don’t have chain markets here. We’re a unique community,” said Crews. “I don’t want to see a chain hotel here. I’d like to see something a little more unique and a little more appropriate for Carrboro.”

Sen. Kinnaird offered her support for the project, reminding residents that Carrboro has already gone through significant changes in its history to become the town it is today.

“We took advantage of what was here then, and I think that’s where we are right now,” said Sen. Kinnaird.

Despite the difference in opinion about the specifics of the project, most residents agree that the project signifies a great opportunity for Carrboro. The Board of Aldermen chose to further its deliberation because it realizes the decision’s impact on the town.

“This is close to being right. It can be perfect and I think Carrboro deserves perfect,” said Alderman, Randee Haven-O’Donnell.

Residents also question the futures of the ArtsCenter and the Cat’s Cradle—two mainstays in the arts culture of downtown.

Main Street Properties does not own the ArtsCenter, but does have a long-standing agreement with the non-profit over usage of the location at the shopping center. Currently, the ArtsCenter is renegotiating the agreement to allocate enough space for the center’s expansion.

“We’re on our own,” said Jon Wilner, executive director of the ArtsCenter. “We’re not tied to their building schedule, nor are they to ours.”

Wilner is excited for the prospect of change. He sees the 300 East Main project as an opportunity to make the area the arts hub of Carrboro with the eventual addition of the Carrboro Public Library and a magnet middle school for the arts.

“We’re bursting at the seams. We have the programs. We’re ready to roll out as soon as it opens,” Wilner said. “We’re here to serve the community. Without the space, we can’t do it.”

While the ArtsCenter will remain a strong community staple long after the project is complete, the future for other occupants of the block is less certain. The owners of both Amante Pizza and VisArt Video are hopeful that they will be able to keep their business in the same location.

Stacey Gamble, the director of operations at VisArt Video, says that while she hopes the store can stay at its current location, she is waiting to see how much of a change the new shopping center will be.

“Carrboro has a great feel to it. Some say it’s the Paris of the South,” Gamble said. “With a change like this, everyone takes a deep breath. Is it going to turn into Franklin Street, where the rent’s so high that businesses have to leave? It’s worrisome to us because we’re hoping the individuality will stay.”

In the plans for 300 East Main, the ArtsCenter and the Cat’s Cradle are the only two current locations listed. The ArtsCenter will remain in its present location with room for expansion, while the Cats Cradle is to be located on the second and third floors of the proposed five-story building.

Owner of the Cat’s Cradle, Frank Heath, is excited about “visions for the future,” but says there is a lot of uncertainty as to where the Cats Cradle will go.

Heath said that a new Cradle would allow more flexibility for bigger bands, but that a balance between the new and old locations is necessary. The venue would still allow the intimacy of being close to the bands.

“It’s not going to be an unrecognizable place,” Heath said.

Initially, Main Street Properties planned to move the Cat’s Cradle into the back of Bike Performance Shop while it began construction on the parking deck. Timeline plans have recently changed to initially begin construction on the Hilton Garden Inn.

“If they don’t move us into a temporary location, we’re basically going to be a non-entity until they figure out such a space,” said Cat’s Cradle Manager Derek Powers.

Sherman Richardson, one of the eight members of Main Street Properties, promised to keep local businesses in mind at the Sept. 16 meeting, emphasizing that growth is inevitable and local business needs a space to grow into.

“We’ve got to give a chance to locally owned business,” Sherman said. “Getting and keeping these businesses is tough.”

As put by Alderman Joal Hall Brown, the Board of Aldermen is taking the time to let the proposal “percolate” through the community. At its meeting on Sept. 30, the board is expected to vote after hearing a final presentation from Main Street Properties providing more concrete details on conditions questioned during the Sept. 16 meeting.

As the prospect of change and development presents itself to the community, Carrboro residents are approaching with cautious support, making sure that the town’s distinctive vibe does not get compromised by big business development.