Minutes 03-26-2015 - Town of Chapel Hill

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Mayor Kleinschmidt said he would like a program plan to bring the Town and the County together to propose functions and do the logistical work ahead of time. He said that may be a driver to move this forward. Council Member Bell said that the Visitors' Bureau could be used as a centralized base for various programming to better serve the Town and the County. She said that in moving forward with any discussion it is prudent to be strategic in thinking about how to maximize the functionality of a space. Council Member Greene said she would want to see it connected to larger missions and transit; to see the building preserved; and she would like to consider involving Preservation North Carolina. She reminded the Board of a transit transfer station downtown, as suggested in Rosemary Imagine drafts. She said it would boost the potential of the Visitors' Bureau. Town Council Member Palmer said she would like to see space for artist exhibits, offering support to artists while earning some revenue. She would also like to see support for local agriculture. Town Council Member Cianciolo said he does not know what is going to happen to the IFC kitchen and shelter at this point. He said that a future location is unknown and that IFC will not be expected to move until an alternate location is secured. He said that the larger issue of homelessness will require partnership between the Town and the County. Council Member Greene said moving forward there will need to be a conversation with the Partnership to End Homelessness and she said the current shelter is not in accordance with modern best practices. Council Member Harrison said he heard there is a three year time frame for this facility and he discussed incorporation of a new Chapel Hill museum into the Visitor's Bureau location. He said that the historic museum in Durham County took at least three years to establish their museum. He said he believes a historic county museum should be in historic Hillsborough. He said that this time should be used to have a group of non elected officials to consider the best way to move forward. He said there are many ideas for the use of the old Town Hall that would be great. Commissioner Price said this is an exciting idea, and seeing the building serving residents and visitors alike will bring people more in to the center of town. Commissioner Rich said the County would need to decide what to do with the proposed vacated Visitor's Bureau site. Council Member Bell asked if the County has talked about what to do with the space where the bureau is now. She said if this space were modernized it would create more density in that part of West Franklin Street. Mayor Kleinschmidt said he would encourage the county to offer comments toward their downtown improvement plans, since Orange County is a major property owner in downtown Chapel Hill. He said he would like to explore how the County may to use it to help advance the neighborhood. Commissioner Price said she and Chair McKee sit on the internal Orange County Space Study Needs Taskforce. She said a conclusion has not been reached, but the value of the property is recognized. She said the services currently being offered in that building are not convenient. She said she is interested in seeing the Town's overall plans for the area. Council Member Ward said the low hanging fruit is economic development for the old Town Hall space, and economic development can come in various forms. He suggested an incubator space to be a mutually beneficial possibility that could be done in the current space or with greater space through renovation. Commissioner Jacobs said there is another partner with the Skills Development Center, and that is Durham Tech. He said they prefer to be located to public transportation allowing