Morrisville Land Use Plan 2021

Town Center Subarea P l an

Most of Morrisville’s growth has occurred in the last three decades, which precluded it from developing a historic downtown. This is has left Morrisville without a recognizable community focal point, which is important for a town’s image and identity. The Town Center Subarea Plan aims to give Morrisville a true downtown, envisioning a vibrant mixed-use district near its original historic crossroads. Similar to many main street districts in North Carolina, the land use program focuses active, commercial uses along Carolina Street, supported by higher density residential, office, and civic facilities. To better amenitize this site, a town green is envisioned to offer opportuni- ties for events and passive recreation. The Subarea Plan also includes the consoli- dation of parking into shared parking decks. Concentrating parking will ensure this new district can accommodate necessary vehicle storage needs, while freeing up valuable land for development. Despite high upfront costs, this would enable a more robust build out of the Town Center and yield greater tax revenue in the long term. Though, the Subarea Plan primarily focuses on creating a downtown district around Carolina Street, this site should be complemented by continuing the exceptional design standards required for the broader 702-acre Town Center Area outlined in the 2007 Town Center Plan. Preserving these standards will help new development better transition into what will eventually become the heart of Morrisville. Given the potential public-private partner- ships, complex mix of uses, and unique design characteristics desired in this subarea, this project may be best implemented through a Planned Development approach.

74 Morrisville Land Use Plan | Chapter 6 – Subarea Plans