BOA halts plans for arts center

The Carrboro Board of Alderman decided Thursday not to move forward with the original proposal for the Carrboro Arts and Innovation Center.

Instead, the board proposed modifications to the original proposal, wanting to take everything off the table and start fresh.

The original proposal included the construction of a new ArtsCenter in downtown Carrboro, which would house the two non-profits, Kidzu Children’s Museum and the Carrboro ArtsCenter.

The ArtsCenter currently resides in the same strip mall as Cat’s Cradle. If the ArtsCenter vacated its current location at 300 E. Main St., a new hotel beside the Hampton Inn and Suites could be built in its place.

Aldermen said they didn’t agree with how the proposal was given to them as a package deal that included both the ArtsCenter and the new hotel.

“It’s limiting to each of these projects to consider them together, and it does neither of them justice,” said Alderman Damon Seils.

Seils said the proposal was presented to the board in a backwards manner.

“What we’re seeing here is a process we should have seen before,” he said.

“We should have seen the goals of the ArtsCenter before hand, but the ArtsCenter doesn’t have a strategic plan.”

Alderwoman Michelle Johnson said the town was asked to contribute $4.5 million to the project and the county might contribute $3 million, but there hasn’t been any commitment by the two participating non-profits to raise the remaining $7.5 million.

Aldermen also complained they were not given an active roll in planning the ArtsCenter.

“If we’re going to give $4.5 million to the project, we need to be part of the planning,” Johnson said.

Alderwoman Bethany Chaney proposed a list of modifications to the original proposal, which included separating the ArtsCenter and the hotel, establishing a more generous guideline and creating time-bound benchmarks.

Alderman Sammy Slade said he would like the Cat’s Cradle separated from the proposal, but given equal attention.

“Carrboro is all about supporting locally owned businesses,” he said. “I feel like the Cat’s Cradle is like the poster child of what we’re talking about.”

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