Morrisville Town Center Plan - 2007

Appendix 3

Town Centers Field Trip Summary

73 │ Town Center Plan x Group was guided by David Rowland, Town of Apex Planning Director x Vacancy of about 50% when revitalization efforts started 20 years ago x Typical vacancy today is 5 – 10% x Apex is loca ed in White Oak Township, efforts were made to preserve mature White O k trees in the Downtown area The Town Centers Field Trip began at Town Hall on Friday, July 7, 2006. The group traveled by bus to Carolina Café in Meadowmont for a quick box lunch. Highlights of each stop: Meadowmont x Group visited Meadowmont Realty and was met by Clarence Lupton, Sales Associate x Almost all phases of Meadowmont are sold out x Re-sales in the neighborhood are strong. Prices start in the $400s and top $1M x Demand outstrips supply of 24 condominiums on the upper-stories of buildings in the Town Center x Might have done lofts instead for more units x Vacancy in Meadowmont’s Town Center has been impacted by Streets at South Point x The group also met with Kay Pearlstein, Senior Planner with the Town of Chapel Hill x Affordable housing located close to Town Center x Retail businesses are a mix of restaurants, essential services, and specialty shops x Managed like a mall Southern Village x Jim Earnhardt of Bryan Properties, Inc., the developer of Southern Village met the group x Earnhardt was the project manager for this development and lives there today x Parents that drop kids in neighborhood for amusement x Early buildings not as successful, later buildings more flexible, look better x Many families locate in Southern Village; elementary school is at capacity x Village Green is too big; trees planted at perimeter help correct scale of space and create better sense of containment x Grocery in the neighborhood is a local cooperative x Movie theater is catalyst for night life in the Village Center x Retail businesses are a mix of restaurants, essential services, and specialty shops x About 70% of students at enrolled at neighborhood elementary school, Mary Scroggs, live in Southern Village Downtown Apex

January 2007