After 32 years, Fuquay-Varina Town Hall returns to downtown
This article was written for our sponsor, Fuquay-Varina.
We all know growth is in the air in Fuquay-Varina – and for lots of great reasons. The beautiful suburban town of Fuquay-Varina features a thriving economy, an entrepreneurial spirit and a unique community feel that offers residents of all ages a great place to enjoy – and balance – life, work and family.
It's not often that exponential growth allows a community to get back to its roots, but that's exactly what is planned for the Town of Fuquay-Varina with the return of Town Hall to downtown.
The stars have aligned just right this year to allow for the Town Hall's homecoming in the heart of downtown Fuquay-Varina. While the Town Hall located at 401 Honeycutt Road has been in its existing site since 1987, its original location was downtown – much like most municipalities that historically try to keep government functions in the center of the community.
"It was downtown a number of years ago before it was moved, and it served a good purpose there," explained Town of Fuquay-Varina Mayor John Byrne. "Bringing the Town Hall back downtown is important for visibility and is where the people really wanted the Town Hall."
Adam Mitchell, Fuquay-Varina town manager, characterized Fuquay-Varina's growth over the past decade as "incredible." The growth and need for a larger town hall is one of the major forces driving the relocation.
"We are at a point in our history when it's time to expand our facilities – both the Town Hall and our police department," Mitchell said. "This created the perfect opportunity to evaluate our options, and we believe the time is right for us to bring Town Hall back to the hub of downtown activity, which we expect to continue to grow along with the town in the coming years."
The police department will occupy the town hall's current location once it is renovated.
On Oct. 7, Fuquay-Varina's Town Hall officially opened its doors at its new home, which is a nearly 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located at 134 North Main Street, which many residents will recognize as the former Bob Barker Corporate Office building, which the Town purchased in 2017.
The newly renovated Town Hall boasts nearly double its previous footprint and is equipped with added conference rooms, a Town Hall Board Room with double its the previous occupancy (from 99 to 199), expanded storage for Town records, additional customer service windows for utility customers, a fitness facility to support employee wellness and plenty of room for future expansion.
It also features a plaza along the Main Street area for relaxation and outdoor gatherings.
In recent years, the Town of Fuquay-Varina has invested millions in the downtown area – including streetscape improvements, parks, facilities and economic development projects. The new Town Hall is part of this effort.
"Our goal is to establish a customer-centric facility that our residents find easy to use and convenient to access," Mitchell continued. "Located central to our community and near the fire station, the new Arts Center, the administration building, and the police department, we expect the new Town Hall to support our continued growth as well as all the great local businesses that have invested in downtown Fuquay-Varina alongside the Town."
Jon Pierce, owner of the Mason Jar Tavern, a popular restaurant located in the heart of downtown Fuquay-Varina, said he and other business owners are invested in the success of downtown.
"Since we joined the business community three years ago, we've noticed a big focus from the Town Board to build downtown as a destination for people in Fuquay-Varina. People want to see downtown as a local place where they can go get a meal and shop. The Town wants to make downtown a vibrant destination," he said. "I think for the Town Hall to return to downtown is a way that they're showing their commitment to that mission."
This article was written for our sponsor, Fuquay-Varina.
