CARRBORO – From the Carrboro’s first hotel opening this year, to the first shop opening in the 300 East Main Street development, to the proposed plans for a new ArtsCenter— downtown Carrboro is evolving.

Mayor-elect Lydia Lavelle, who takes office in December, says she is excited to lead the Town through this period of change.

She says that the Hampton Inn, which opened in August, has provided a much-needed synergy for Downtown.

“The hotel is bringing in people to our town that wouldn’t otherwise be able to be here,” Lavelle says. “For instance, we just hosted the second state-wide Bicycle Summit. Last year it was in Raleigh, but this year it was in Carrboro because we had the Hampton Inn where we could hold it. It was really a great event to have in our community.”

Cameron’s Gifts, formerly located in University Mall, celebrated its grand opening this week as the first shop to open in the 300 East Main development.

The ArtsCenter, currently a part of the 300 East Main redevelopment site, is located in an older building which it shares with Cat’s Cradle, but that could change in the coming years.

“The ArtsCenter is very interested in having a free-standing new building, and perhaps having it be at the end of the property which sits on what is now a parking lot across from the Armadillo Grill,” Lavelle says.

The ArtsCenter has engaged Architect Philip Szostak, who designed the Durham Performing Arts Center, to draft preliminary ideas for the structure. Lavelle says she has begun to meet with community members about the project.

“It is really an exciting idea to think of the ArtsCenter moving to that kind of a structure and having more room and more visibility,” Lavelle says.

Lavelle has said before that she would like to see Carrboro create an arts district, similar to the Golden Belt space in Durham.

“It is a natural fit for a lot of the folks who live, work and visit Carrboro to be known as kind of an arts center and an arts and cultural destination.”

It’s also been suggested that the Orange County Public Library – Southern Branch Library relocate to the 300 East Main site. The developer, East Main Properties, acquired what’s known as the old Butler property located behind the 300 East Main parking deck.

Lavelle says that change is inevitable in Carrboro, and her vision is to have it happen in a way that will boost development, but preserve the existing look of the downtown.

“I think that anyone who observes the way that we operate in Carrboro knows that we don’t do anything hastily. We take a lot of input; we beat everything to death, really; and we think very long and thoughtfully about how new construction will impact our existing landscape.”

Lavelle will be sworn in as mayor on December 3, replacing Mark Chilton who is retiring.

Related Stories
‹
Cameron’s Gift Shop Likely To Be First Open In Carrboro’s 300 E. Main
CHAPEL HILL – Cameron’s gift shop is changing locations after 32 years in University Mall. It’s moving to the 300 East Main re-development space – the project that hopes to be the entertainment, dining, and shopping center of downtown Carrboro. “We just started thinking about new possibilities—different things we could do to increase our traffic. We […]
New Changes at The ArtsCenter for Leadership, Future Relocation
Big changes are happening in the Carrboro arts scene. For the past three years, The ArtsCenter has been planning to move to a new building on Jones Ferry Road. Now, that plan is changing. The ArtsCenter announced it will instead relocate its programming to a building at Roberson Street.
Cameron's is Closing, But the Shrine Room Lives On
Cameron’s, a longtime Carrboro business, closed earlier this month, but its Shrine Room lives on in a new home. The business announced that the Shrine Room will now housed at the Sfeer Yoga Studio in Chapel Hill. This year the Shrine Room turned twenty and now it seems appropriate that it is leaving the nest […]
Cameron's Announces Store Closing Date
January 12 will be the last day in business for Cameron’s, the eclectic gift shop in Carrboro. The store owners, Wendy Smith and Bridget Pemberton-Smith, announced in November that the store would be closing in early 2019. The sisters took over operations of Cameron’s in 2002. But the store has been a staple of the […]
Longtime Chapel Hill, Carrboro Business Cameron's Closing in 2019
Residents and visitors to Chapel Hill and Carrboro will have one more holiday season to peruse the items at Cameron’s for the unique gift or card for birthdays or holidays. The store will be closing in early 2019. Store owners Wendy Smith and Bridget Pemberton-Smith announced Friday morning that the store would be closing after […]
Focus on Women Entrepreneurs (3 of 5)
Inspired by so many women entrepreneurs and business owners Kristen Smith Young has met and known, she decided to feature one woman a day in March on social media (follow her on Instagram and Twitter) in honor of Women’s History Month.
Chapel Hill and Carrboro Celebrate Small Business Saturday
The town of Chapel Hill is urging citizens to shop local on this year’s Small Business Saturday. The Town Council delivered a proclamation last week to Cameron’s Gallery owner Bridget Pemberton-Smith and Spirit Guide at Top of the Hill Distillery Esteban McMahan, who stressed the importance of shopping at small businesses and the effect it […]
Cat's Cradle Owner to Carrboro BoA: Growing Arts Scene Presents 'Dilemma'
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.
Proposed Carrboro Arts & Innovation Center Draws Desired Public Input
A proposal for a new Arts & Innovation Center in Carrboro brought out more people than expected to a couple of public information sessions at the Arts Center this week. “There’s $22 million during the construction phase of the project of local economic impact,” said architect Phil Szostak, who also serves on the board of […]
WomanCraft Marks Grand Opening Mon In Carrboro
The artists' cooperative WomanCraft has moved from Eastgate to 300 East Main.
›