Carrboro’s 203 Project is moving forward despite increased costs. Eventually, the new building will be home to a new town library, community radio station and a work training center.
Town Council members learned last week the project will cost an additional $2.7 million, but unanimously approved the new costs.
The Town Council previously approved an additional $1.8 million to the project’s budget in March.
The 203 Project aims to bring equity and economic development to the town by providing space for Town Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Program, the new Orange County Skills Development Center and the town’s long-awaited library.
At a Carrboro Town Council meeting last week, town staff said the cost of the project is now estimated to be $30.3 million.
The increased costs are mostly stem from higher priced materials in construction and furniture, fixtures and equipment.
Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle told 97.9 The Hill the increased costs were expected due to supply chain shortages and the desire to make the development as sustainable as possible.
“We’ve heard loud and clear, and it’s a priority of the town, to have this be a really environmentally sound building,” Lavelle said. “In some instances, we are probably getting more green, more energy efficient structures in the building that do cost a little more.”
Town staff said the estimates set aside more money than needed to make sure there was enough funds to cover the final cost of the project.
Despite these highballed estimates, council member Jacquelyn Gist said she was uneasy about the increased costs.
“I still remain concerned, as I brought up this spring, [about] the rising cost of materials,” Gist said. “That’s not going to go significantly down for a while. I think there’s so many unknowns going on right now, I’m worried.”
Gist said despite the higher price tag, she still believes the development should move forward because of the benefits the 203 Project will provide to the town.
Council member Susan Romaine echoed that sentiment. She said it was important to not lose sight of the importance of having a library downtown.
“We are long overdue in many ways,” Romaine said. “Think about all that will come out of this, whether it’s promoting literacy or promoting economic development as people come and spend money. Also, there are so many opportunities to advance equity, here in this one building.”
The 203 Project would be one of the first major downtown developments in the past century. Carrboro is also the largest town in North Carolina without a public library, which this project would remedy.
Mayor Lavelle said those opportunities are what make pursuing this development worth it.
“Libraries downtown are such a great thing for a community,” Lavelle said. “It’s one of the most equitable things you can do for a community. It’s a place where people can meet up and the modern libraries have so much more than just have reading.”
The town council unanimously approved the current costs and the updated construction timeline, which puts the groundbreaking for the 203 project sometime next spring, with the first visitors in the door by the end of 2023.
Photo via Town of Carrboro.
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Libraries downtown are such a great thing for a community,” Lavelle said.
Yes libraries were a great thing to have when folks read books. Does this new library take into account the technological advances of the 21st century?