The owner of the Cat’s Cradle told the Carrboro Board of Aldermen at Tuesday night’s meeting that his business and the ArtsCenter are both in the same situation – too big for their current buildings.
Tuesday’s meeting was the second of two public hearings on the proposed Arts & Innovation Center and new hotel.
Mayor Lydia Lavelle said at the last month’s public hearing on the CAIC proposal that she wanted to hear from Hampton Inn executives, Main Street Properties and Cat’s Cradle owner Frank Heath at the Feb. 3 meeting.
All parties answered that call on Tuesday night, starting with Manish Atma, president of Atma Hotel Group, which manages the Hampton Inn at 300 East Main.
The plan is for the Hampton Inn to add a second hotel there, where the ArtsCenter currently resides, as the ArtsCenter moves into the CAIC, along with Kidzu Children’s Museum.
Atma talked about the proposed 140-room, five-story Hilton Garden Inn.
“We opened the Hampton Inn in August of 2013,” said Atma. “We have housed over 80,000 adults and children in the last 14 months at our hotel that have visited local restaurants, bars, and shops.
“In total, we’re anticipating the same amount of people in our new hotel.”
Atma added that the Hampton Inn does not, however, run with an average 95 percent occupancy, as former Carrboro Mayor and retired state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird reported to the Board of Aldermen last month.
Laura Van Sant and Kevin Benedict were at Tuesday night’s meeting, representing Main Street Properties.
Van Sant talked about a subject that seems to be on the minds of many Carrboro residents, judging from comments at the last CAIC hearing: The Cat’s Cradle. Citizens say they want to know where that beloved 300 Main Street venue stands in all of this.
In a statement released to WCHL on Monday, Cradle owner Frank Heath offered no opinion on the merits of the CAIC proposal. Instead, he expressed frustration that the Cradle began to outgrow its current space for big-drawing musical acts years ago, yet the space remains the same.
Main Street Properties is The Cradle’s landlord, and Van Sant came into the Aldermen meeting Tuesday night with her version of discussions between the two parties over the past several years.
“The Cradle has always paid discounted rent at 300 East Main,” said Van Sant, “an amount that has not increased since 2005. From 2007 to 2010, we worked with the Cradle and paid to design a new building that actually could be built where we’re talking about putting the hotel now.
“And it could have been built at the same time as we’re building the new parking deck, and sold or leased to The Cradle at cost. But The Cradle chose not to pursue that opportunity.”
Van Sant said that a later offer to sell or lease VisArt’s old space next door to the Cradle was also rejected.
“Next, we contributed substantial funds to the Cradle in 2011, so it could expand its current capacity from 615 people to 849 people, and so it could open the back room,” said Van Sant. “Working with the town, we proposed a long-term lease with only inflationary rent increases, so The Cradle would face no risk of displacement from surrounding development.
“The Cradle rejected that lease offer.”
Heath was supposed to speak next, but he had stepped out. Speaking on his behalf, Diana Straughan said that Heath was likely “floored” by Van Sant’s comments, and unprepared to respond during the time allotted.
“I don’t think he felt like it represented some things that actually took place,” said Straughan, “but he really doesn’t want to hash it out here.”
Heath returned to speak toward the end of the meeting. He apologized for stepping out, and confirmed that he didn’t want to follow Van Sant’s comments, which, he said, didn’t match his recollection of events over the past seven years.
He said that competition from growing Triangle cities makes the expansion of arts venues in Carrboro an urgent priority.
Heath added that he realizes it’s difficult for a small town to make the necessary decisions when considering two successful arts organizations that have outgrown their current venues.
“We have a great dilemma at the moment because the ArtsCenter and the Cradle are well-established enough and successful enough that both organizations really do need to expand, in order to fully realize their potential.”
The next meeting of the Board of Aldermen regarding the CAIC proposal is on Feb. 17. That meeting will be a work session, at which Alderpersons will discuss it among themselves.
To hear more from Tuesday’s meeting of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, stay tuned to WCHL throughout the week.
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