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25 <br /> 1 5. Train Station Update & Hillsborough Station Transit Oriented Development (TOD) <br /> 2 Partnership Opportunities (Including Grant Efforts) <br /> 3 <br /> 4 The Town of Hillsborough (Town) owns approximately 19.6 acres of property between Gold Hill <br /> 5 Way and the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) tracks near the entrance to the Collins Ridge <br /> 6 Neighborhood. The entire property is being referred to as "Hillsborough Station", which <br /> 7 encompasses the train station and the future development surrounding it. The Town has spent <br /> 8 several years in the planning and design process to develop an approximately 8,000 square foot <br /> 9 net-zero-ready passenger rail station that would also include Town offices and meeting space. <br /> 10 The project has zoning and site plan approval, and is working towards a preliminary engineering <br /> 11 agreement with NCRR to submit plans for review. <br /> 12 <br /> 13 The train station project will require about 4.7 acres of the Town's property. After deductions for <br /> 14 streets, sidewalks, landscaping, buffers, stormwater, etc. — there will be a little over 9.5 acres <br /> 15 remaining for development. In the Town's Comprehensive Sustainability Plan, a goal was <br /> 16 established to set aside one-third of the remaining site for the development of affordable housing. <br /> 17 In September 2023, the Town Board of Commissioners received an update on concept-level <br /> 18 planning for the remaining site, which is included in the attached presentation. The Town has <br /> 19 funded a market study to further develop potential layouts and uses of the site, which will be <br /> 20 completed in FY26. <br /> 21 <br /> 22 At the concept level, the Town has reserved a site near the train station for"civic use"—currently <br /> 23 an undefined term. There has been some interest in potential partnerships for that space, <br /> 24 including but not limited to a multi-modal transportation center (MMC) and a performing arts <br /> 25 venue. Orange County staff has engaged a consultant to work on a RAISE/BUILD grant <br /> 26 application, which is being supported by Town staff and also includes coordination with multiple <br /> 27 local and regional stakeholders including Piedmont Authority on Regional Transportation (PART), <br /> 28 Burlington-Graham Metropolitan Planning Organization, Central Pines Regional Council, Link <br /> 29 Transit, Orange County, North Carolina Department of Transportation Division and Integrated <br /> 30 Mobility Division and Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization (TWTPO). As the site <br /> 31 will already be served by passenger rail and will be adjacent to the new Ridgewalk Greenway, it <br /> 32 may make sense to add additional transportation amenities to the Hillsborough Station site. The <br /> 33 discussions of potential arts/performing arts uses have been very informal and neither the Town <br /> 34 or County boards have expressed official support for either use. <br /> 35 <br /> 36 The Boards can discuss issues related to this item as necessary, and staff will be available at the <br /> 37 meeting. <br /> 38 <br /> 39 Matt Efird introduced the item. <br /> 40 <br />