Fayetteville Breaks Ground on Downtown Service Center

FAYETTEVILLE — With a shovel of dirt, city leaders are helping rebuild downtownFayetteville.

Mayor J.L. Dawkins is happy to help break ground on Hay Street's newest addition, which will be home to thePublic Works Commission's customer service department.

TheChamber of Commercewill occupy the fourth floor, leaving another 27,000 square feet up for lease.

"We're hoping to get some other tenants in the facility," says PWC Chairman Milt Wofford. Wofford hopes the tenants include other businesses that cater to new arrivals "so that when a person comes to Fayetteville for the first time, they can come to this one downtown center and get all of their services taken care of."

PWC's original plans were to renovate the old Lafayette Hotel which once stood on the property. A fire four years ago destroyed the hotel and postponed the project, but not the idea to contribute to the revitalization of Fayetteville's Center City.

Other revitalization projects are still pending, including the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. The museum is expected to be completed in the year 2000.

Plans for a multi-million dollar park have been put on hold for the second year in a row. Its future will be left in the hands of taxpayers, who will vote on a $28 million bond issue to build the park.