The Carrboro Board of Aldermen will hold a second public hearing tonight on the proposed Carrboro Arts & Innovation Center that would be home to the ArtsCenter and Kidzu Children’s Museum.

In exchange for the property on Main and Roberson, East Main Partners would get to use the current ArtsCenter space at 300 East Main for a second hotel.

The topic drew around 60 folks to the first meeting on January 20th, and only about two-thirds got to speak.

Mayor Lydia Lavelle spoke to WCHL recently about tonight’s meeting, and the process going forward.

“We’re going to continue to get more information, and start to chat with the partners about the proposal and where it might be going,” she said.

At the last hearing, some people said they were skeptical of the notion that any new tax revenue needed for the CAIC would be raised by the new hotel. Partners in the deal are also asking the town to finance nearly half of the $13 million project over 25 years.

The subject of The Cat’s Cradle music club and its owner, Frank Heath, came up. People want to know where the Cradle stands if its landlords at Main Street Properties get the second hotel they want.

“Part of our meeting on Feb.3, I think, will be to have some folks, hopefully from Main Street Partners, to come and kind of explain that – and probably have, you know, the folks from The Cradle and the hotel there, in case we need to go a little further,” said Lavelle.

She added that, even if the project gets the green light, she doubts that the proposed start time for the project – June 2016 – will be feasible.

“We don’t want to rush it,” said Lavelle. “Yet, I know, speaking for myself, I think it’s too good an opportunity to not continue to inquire about, and follow up on.”

The public hearing begins at 7:30 tonight at Town Hall. As mentioned earlier, the last Aldermen hearing about the CAIC was packed, so be sure to get there early.

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