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New Library and Cultural Center Coming to Downtown Carrboro!
- Future home of Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources; Orange County Southern Branch Library; Orange County Skills Development Center; WCOM Radio; a teen center and performance/multipurpose uses.
- Accessible from Chapel Hill Transit bus routes CW, F and J routes, the Go Triangle 405 route, a soon-to-be built sidewalk along S. Greensboro Street, and the Libba Cotten Bikeway
- New facility will include parking deck with 171 vehicle parking spaces and 70 bike parking spots.
- If you would like to be included on a neighborhood email list, which includes residents living in the adjacent neighborhood and the local business community, reach us at the203project@carrboronc.gov We will send you project updates!
- The Town of Carrboro will post monthly project updates here on the Town website and through social media. Sign up to receive Carrboro Town News at www.carrboronc.gov/signup
The 203 Project is located at 203 S. Greensboro Street, an existing Carrboro municipal parking lot near the center of the town. This is a combined effort between the Town of Carrboro and Orange County to create a community three-story public facility with opportunities for education, art and connection.
Crews are currently working on forming up the third and final floor of the building. Concrete for the third floor is scheduled to be poured on the morning of Thursday, May 18. Once the third floor is complete, construction of the roof will begin and the building will be topped out.
Focus will then shift to the building of the concrete parking deck.
Utility work is ongoing, please follow the Town’s social media for the latest utility work notifications.
Crews are finishing construction of the foundation system and first floor cast-in-place concrete on the 203 Project this month.
Preparations are being made to pour the second floor concrete slab on Wednesday, April 19. Utility crews are expected to begin removing old aerial communication cables around the site in the coming weeks. Please check the Town’s social media for ongoing utility work notifications.
In other updates, the Town Council will be considering policies and procedures for naming the building at the April 25 regular Town Council meeting.
Duke Energy will be performing utility work around the construction site on March 16-17 which will have traffic impacts between the hours of 9a.m. and 4 p.m. Roberson Street traffic will be detoured to use the Main Street intersection instead of S. Greensboro Street. Maple Avenue residents will continue to use E. Carr Street and Maple Avenue Extension. Flaggers and temporary signs will be used to direct traffic.
On March 14, an early morning concrete pour is scheduled for the first floor slab. The pour will begin around 3 a.m. with concrete deliveries continuing throughout the morning.
In other updates, the site foundations and footings are nearly complete with more construction trades beginning to mobilize onsite.
Although January had 12 rain days, work on the 203 Project was productive. Concrete columns and foundation walls have been installed for what will be the future library space. The concrete structure forming in the middle of the site is the elevator shaft. The contractor is currently making preparations to pour the first floor slab. Utility work around the site will begin in the coming weeks which may result in some temporary lane closures and flagging. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical contractors are mobilizing and preparing to begin rough-in work following the structure build out. For the latest news, photos, and aerial drone videos, visit www.the203project.org.
The 203 Project construction is progressing on schedule. The 130’ tower crane was erected on December 16th. This crane will stay up for the duration of construction to move materials around the site. Currently the concrete foundation is being installed on the west side of the building. The first floor of the concrete structure will begin to take form over the coming weeks as the slab and columns get built. Overhead utility relocations are expected to take place next month so some temporary lane closures and flagging on S. Greensboro St. can be expected. For the latest news, photos, and aerial drone videos, visit www.the203project.org.
Construction is underway on the 203 Project at 203 S. Greensboro St., the project to complete a new library and civic building. Currently, the site is being graded and excavated for the concrete foundations and floor slab. A tower crane is beginning to go up!
Other updates include:
- A new traffic pattern has been in effect since November 1st and will remain in place for the duration of the project.
- Aggregate piers have been installed to prepare for the building foundation.
- Expect a significant amount of concrete to be poured over the next several months as the structure gets built.
- Entrance and exit gates are being fabricated and will be installed at the east and west corner
The new traffic pattern is in effect. From observation, it appears Roberson is wide enough to continue to accommodate delivery vehicles. Barnhill will be putting additional signage out to help with directing traffic.
Spectrum has so far been able to perform all of their work from the property side to keep from having a lane closure on S. Greensboro St. We expect them to complete the work by the end of next week.
Foundation work is scheduled to begin soon. Large equipment will be needed for the piers so some noise can be expected. We will begin receiving small concrete deliveries over the next several weeks. The concrete trucks will utilize the northeast corner entrance to the site.
Beginning on Monday, Oct. 31, a new one-way traffic pattern will be implemented around the construction site of The 203 Project on S. Greensboro Street.
This will affect traffic movement on Roberson (westbound only), Maple (northbound only) and Carr (eastbound only) streets. This will affect traffic movement around the project site only.
For accessing the Libba Cotten Bikeway, cyclists are encouraged to use Carr Street to avoid oncoming traffic on Roberson Street.
South Greensboro Parking Lot closed beginning Oct. 17
Beginning Monday, Oct. 17 the parking lot located at 203 S. Greensboro St. will be closed to the public as crews prepare for construction of The 203 Project.
Alternative public parking lots are located around town and a parking map can be viewed here http://townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/11225/Carrboro-Parking-Map-?bidId=
Sept. 15, 2022 -- After conducting subsurface utility locating, excavation for the stormwater system began the week of Aug. 22, 2022, in the southwest corner of the site. Barnhill constructed one stormwater junction box and installed about 50 feet of stormwater pipe.
Utility coordination is ongoing among Dominion Gas, Spectrum/Charter and AT&T to accommodate construction.
Currently, the eastern section of the parking lot is closed and barricaded off. Full closure of the parking lot is pending utility work with a date TBD. Signage has been ordered to notice the public of the lot closure date. Notification will be provided two weeks prior to the closure. Please find alternative parking locations at http://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11225/Carrboro-Parking-Map
At its Sept. 13, 2022, meeting, the Town Council heard from Barnhill Contracting Co. about their procedures for mitigating noise disturbances connected to construction. The project will require about eight early morning (deemed after-hours) concrete pours to complete construction of the building and parking deck. These pours are expected to take place prior to 7 a.m.
Barnhill will notify the Town one week in advance of expected after-hours concrete work and will work with Town staff to notify residents and businesses of upcoming work. No more than two after-hours concrete pours will be permitted in a given week, and they will not fall on consecutive nights. No after-hours work will be permitted on Sunday. The Council directed staff to expand the radius of neighborhood notification of these pours.
The development will be the future home of Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources; Orange County Southern Branch Library; Orange County Skills Development Center; WCOM Radio; a teen center and performance/multipurpose uses. The 203 Project will provide opportunities for education, art and community connection.
Aug. 9, 2022 -- Construction is about to start on the 203 Project at 203 S. Greensboro St., currently the site of a Carrboro municipal parking lot across from Open Eye Cafe. The project to complete a new library and civic building will be underway for the next 19 months.
Initially, only a portion of the project site will be closed for delivery of construction equipment and materials. The public will receive two weeks notice prior to the entire parking lot closure. Please find alternative parking locations at http://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11225/Carrboro-Parking-Map
The $42 million development will be the future home of the Orange County Southern Branch Library. The facility will also provide a permanent home for the Orange County Skills Development Center; Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department; WCOM Radio; and performance/multipurpose uses. The 203 Project will provide opportunities for education, art and community connection.
It will be a nearly 50,000 square foot public facility designed with energy efficiency and waste reduction features that will result in a LEED Gold equivalency. Green building features include stormwater control measures, daylighting, vegetative roofing and a state-of-the-art HVAC system. The project has received a Duke Energy building efficiency incentive.
While the parking lot currently holds about 88 parking spaces, upon completion of the new facility, the parking deck will have a 171 parking space capacity. This includes five electric vehicle charging spots. Another 25 parking spots will be installed with EV ready infrastructure for future upgrades. Additionally, 70 bike parking spots are planned.
Ben Schmadeke
Capital Projects Manager
Town of Carrboro
919-918-7424
bschmadeke@carrboronc.gov
Catherine Lazorko
Communication and Engagement Director
Town of Carrboro
919-918-7314
clazorko@carrboronc.gov
Todd McGee
Community Relations Director
Orange County
919-245-2302
tmcgee@orangecountync.gov
In 2016, the Town began actively exploring development of the existing parking lot at 203 S. Greensboro Street in response to a request from Orange County to locate the new Orange County Southern Branch Library there.
Local governing boards approve new library and cultural center for Carrboro
