Developers won approval Tuesday for a multi-story project that will bring a Kerr Drug to Hillsborough Street, but not before objections from a pair of city council members known for their strict stances on design.
Thomas Crowder and Russ Stephenson took issue with a parking lot proposed next to the building, saying a strip of asphalt doesn't fit with the city's goal to enliven Hillsborough Street as an urban, walkable district. The pair voted against the project, which eventually passed on a 6-2 vote.
Ironically, this development is probably best known for what it has already taken away from Hillsborough Street -- a venue that many local music fans would say did more to enliven the street than any trendy urban design. To make way for the project, crews in August knocked down The Brewery, which had operated for 27 years as a live music spot with acts such as Jane's Addiction, Georgia Satellites, Sheryl Crow, Blind Melon and Panic at the Disco.
Local bands Corrosion of Conformity and Whiskeytown with Ryan Adams played there before going on to bigger fame.
But that's all in the past now. Tuesday's debate was about a different subject. Crowder and Stephenson, both architects, said the parking lot would allow views from the street of a seven-story parking deck planned behind the building as part of a separate project.
Hold on, the developers replied. This isn't a parking lot like you'd expect to find at a suburban superstore. The plan calls for a single row of parking spaces, with about half set aside for handicapped customers, i.e. elderly people visiting the pharmacy to pick up their medicines. The lot would sit behind a 14-foot sidewalk and row of landscaping.
"This is a critical issue to our potential tenant," said Robin Currin, an attorney representing the developers.
But decisions like these are also critical for the future of Hillsborough Street, countered Crowder.
"It sets a precedent," he said. "Having a tree every 25 feet, and two-foot shrubs, is not the vision we have for Hillsborough Street."
The city has reason to keep a close watch over what happens on Hillsborough Street, considering it spent $10 million last year on a makeover aimed at improving traffic flow and pedestrian safety, and making the street more appealing for private investment.
A few blocks closer to downtown, N.C. State University has announced plans to work with a team of developers to build a 125-room hotel across from the school's Bell Tower.
The hotel would include ground floor retail and a restaurant. The project would occupy the stretch of Hillsborough between Enterprise Street and Maiden Lane, replacing both Sadlack's Heroes and a retail center that is home to Schoolkids Records.
A debate over that project will one day take place. On Tuesday, Crowder wasn't ready to give up on his hopes for tweaking the Kerr Drug-anchored development. He pushed to send the plans back to a committee for more discussion. "We're so close to making it a good project," he said.
The developers are eager to move ahead. A flagship Kerr Drug would anchor the ground floor, but other uses are planned upstairs, according to developer Val Valentine. There's talk of classrooms for some sort of business school that would be housed in the building, as well as apartments for students and a restaurant on the top floor.
The City Council gave approval to move forward. Mayor Charles Meeker said he would prefer to avoid a parking lot, but doesn't view it as a big enough issue to warrant holding up the development, which he deemed a good addition for Hillsborough Street.
