Carrboro Budgets For Town Hall To Get Elevator, ADA-Compliant Restrooms, More Office Space

GOVERNMENT

CARRBORO – If everything goes smoothly, by 2028 Carrboro Town Hall will be more energy efficient, more accessible to people with disabilities, and won’t need to have some staffers using the corridors for offices.

Carrboro’s FY 2026 budget includes $15 million for Town Hall renovations, on top of $855,000 previously budgeted for project design.. The $15 million will come from installment financing, to be paid back in subsequent budgets.

A long-planned transformation

“This is a long-planned project that has been part of the town’s objectives for several years,” Assistant Town Manager Marie Parker said in an email interview. The Town Council began discussing renovations back in 2021, with goals including ADA upgrades, restoring some of the building’s historic features, and making the building more functional.

“We’re really going to try to have it return a little bit to the way it used to look,” Mayor Lydia Lavelle said in 2021. “Retain its historic features, which isn’t even there right now, bring it back to the historic feature to have some modern-day kind of energy efficiencies in the building – so we’re going to be offsetting our energy usage on the campus of Town Commons.”

Since then, Parker said, the town has refined the scope of what needs to be done, planned the work, and set a budget. In June, the Town Council authorized Town Manager Patrice Toney to negotiate with a design/build firm for the first phase of the project, spending up to $750,000.

What needs fixing?

One of the reasons Town Hall needs to change, Parker said, is that currently Carrboro has more staff than space. Carrboro Communications and Engagement Director Catherine Lazorko said that to fit everyone in, employees are sharing office space, working in storage space, or working in hallways.

“Renovations will allow the building to function at full capacity and better serve the public,” Parker said.

Parker said the building will also become ADA-compliant. “The most significant ADA improvements are the addition of an elevator for full access to all floors, which can only currently be accessed by stairs, and the modernization of public restrooms. Other accessibility features will be added during design.”

The project will also improve Town Hall’s energy efficiency. The 2025-26 budget says the improvements include new insulation and HVAC equipment, plus other upgrades to reduce the building’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The renovations should also improve interior air quality and make the building more comfortable to work in.

During the original 2021 discussions, Parker said, the council did discuss restoring some of the building’s older architectural features. “Over the years, Town Hall has seen several changes: the cornice along the parapet was removed, the front portico and railings were added, and the original windows were replaced with metal ones.” Restoration is still under consideration as the design phase begins.

Financing the change

The budget breaks down the $15 million into $14.4 million for construction, plus $600,000 for equipment and furnishings. The budget anticipates Carrboro paying installments of $1.2 million each year from 2027 to 2030, which is as far out as the 2026 budget makes projections. Parker said the town hasn’t decided yet what sort of long-term financing will work best.

The budget also includes $100,000 to plan and design renovations at Century Center, work that will eventually total $8.4 million. The upgrades at the 23,000 square foot building will improve the infrastructure, provide more space for the police department, and pay for green technologies “that will go towards achieving ‘net neutral’ energy use.”

What lies ahead

Parker said if everything proceeds as planned, the Town Hall design work will finish by the middle of next year. Construction will begin after that, with the renovations wrapping up in early 2028.

How will staff focus on work with the renovation going on around them? “The design team is reviewing two options,” Parker said. “Relocating staff during construction or phased construction, with staff shifting around inside the building. Each approach has pros and cons that will be carefully evaluated.’

Fraser Sherman has worked for newspapers, including the Destin Log, the Pensacola News-Journal and the Raleigh Public Record. Born in England, he’d still live in Florida if he hadn’t met the perfect woman and moved to Durham to marry her. He’s the author of several film reference books and has published one novel and several short story collections. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press