Morrisville Town Center Plan - 2007

Appendix 4

Appendix

Town Center Inventory • Retail & Service

o Ben’s Bargain Barn. Building purchased in 1993, formerly a bicycle shop. Originally built as the Red & White Food Store (grocery), adjacent to the Jones’ Hardware Store. The closing of Cedar Street (now Franklin Upchurch, Sr. Street) due to a train wreck forced the store to move its entrance to the back, on Morrisville-Carpenter Road. Sales dropped precipitously after 9- 11, but the business still attracts a regular clientele from throughout the region and Morrisville itself. o 22 houses inventoried with vintage or historic value. Several houses built prior to or during the 19 th century. The two small residential neighborhoods on either side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road provide a very pleasant and desirable, small-town environment. A new townhouse community, Church Street Townes, is under development in the northwest portion of the study area. • Office o Yard-Nique. This landscaping business occupies 3 historic and vintage (ca 1901) buildings with high visibility along NC54. The buildings have 1,600, 800, and 2,200 (main office) square feet, respectively. The landscaping business started in Raleigh in 1998 and moved to Morrisville in 2002, drawn by the availability of these houses which already had business zoning. The business serves a regional market, focused on residential growth in the Morrisville area. • Civic o Fire Station. The most visible building in the town center area, the fire station provides an excellent civic use as an anchor for enhancing the small town identity. o Town Hall. The town hall is nicely designed and landscaped but is not immediately visible, integrated, or associated with the town center. o Police Station. Same as above. o Chamber of Commerce. Same as above. o Ruritan Park. The idea of a park at this location is logical, but the park lacks presence, identity, and even a sign on NC54. It is difficult to tell where the park ends and the fire station’s parking lot begins. It would be helpful to know if the gazebo is actually used by the community. • Other o Vacant land. There are vacant lots scattered throughout the town center area. Some of this vacancy was created due to the demolition of buildings. Uses within a short walk from Town Center • Weston (western border) o Bill’s Auto Body. Garage-based business located off of Chapel Hill Road. o Gas station (planned for intersection of NC54 and Aviation Parkway). • Residential

o Little Pros Academy o Strip shopping center

 Asuka Japanese Restaurant  Cleaners

87 │ Town Center Plan

January 2007