The Carrboro Board of Aldermen are exploring the possibility of allowing Hilton to build a hotel in downtown Carrboro.
In their meeting Tuesday night, the aldermen unanimously agreed to continue the discussion over whether or not to allow Hilton to build a five story hotel on 300 Main Street.
A number of local businesses, including the owners of Fleet Feet and Bella’s showed their support for the hotel.
Bridget Pemberton-Smith from Cameron’s said the Hampton Inn helps her generate revenue for her business and others around town.
“We make sure (guests) know about all the great restaurants in town,” she said. “The hotel brings a lot to Carrboro in terms of business and I think having a second hotel would just amplify that.”
An original conditional use permit was given in 2008 for the purpose of building a five-story mixed-use development.
Laura Van Sant from Main Street Properties said the hotel would employ around 50 people and will provide meeting and event space.
“We think this is a better project for downtown Carrboro,” she said. “More tax revenues, more people with money in their pockets going out and spending at local businesses.
One major issue that still needs to be resolved is parking.
Part of the original CUP allows the company to build an expansion on the current parking deck in 300 Main Street.
Van Sant asked the town to allow deck to be built after the construction of the hotel.
“We have to go to the bank and finance this project,” she said. “If we go to the bank and say ‘well the town really wants us to build a $3 million parking deck expansion’ and we don’t need it, that’s not going to go.”
Van Sant said she was in favor of building the parking deck expansion at the same time as the hotel, but there were issues with the bank that prevented that.”
“The problem is, it could kill the deal,” she said. “We can’t finance the deck.”
In the meantime, there is scheduled to be 39 parking spaces underneath the hotel. The expansion would add another 118 spaces.
Board member Jacque Gist said she wanted the expansion to continue with the rest of the project. She said the community helped during the construction of the first hotel and that should be reciprocated as this one is built.
“I don’t think we can afford to turn away from additional parking,” she said. “It might not hurt your businesses, but it would hurt surrounding businesses, whose tax dollars were necessary for your businesses to accomplish what they’ve done.”
The board will talk about this issue again on March 8.
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