An Exploration of Development Possibilities: the Calvin Nash-Rail Site: Hillsborough, North Carolina
Creators: name: Withrow, Lindsey
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2005

description: "Small towns with distinctive and functioning downtowns, tree-shaded sidewalks, homes with porches (and people sitting on them, people who know their neighbors and their neighbors' kinship lines) are increasingly valued as dissatisfaction with the placelessness of modern life increases. Hillsborough, North Carolina is such a small town, where the scale and structures of the town create the visual impression that life in Hillsborough confers membership in a community. For people who dislike the increasing placelessness of the surrounding region, Hillsborough provides an attractive alternative, a location with authentic characteristics that represent place and time." -Cheryl Warren The historic district of Hillsborough is swimming in potential - much tapped, some realized, and very little left dormant. In this last category falls a site that, with proper cultivation and the alignment of a series of proposed, external events, has the possibilities of making a new mark on the history of Hillsborough. Located in west Hillsborough at the corners of Nash and Calvin Streets, this North Carolina Rail-owned parcel is currently vacant, but both directly and directly related to several avenues of interesting discourse around town: 1) There is limited available land in town. The value of residential real estate in the Hillsborough Historic District has increased by a significant amount over the past several years. According to residential real estate agent Susan Waldrop, multifamily housing supply in the historic district currently does not meet demand. 2) The Bellevue Mills residential project, located one block north of the site, will create a market for area retail, increase development interest in the area, and reduce perceived risk by investment sources. 3) The eastern part of the site will include a segment of the River Walk. It will serve as an amenity for residential uses and create a literal and perceived connection between merchants on Churton Street and retail in West Hillsborough. 4) Gold Park, immediately south of the site, will serve as an amenity to residential uses and generate traffic for retail. 5) The site is marked as a potential location for a Triangle Transit Authority commuter rail stop. While the likelihood of this occurring in the near future is minimal, if it does happen, the additional transit option is a major amenity. The site design could include a building to be presently used for civic purposes, but ideal for conversion to a train station should the need arise. Recognizing the general potential for development provides the foundation upon which to launch a more sophisticated investigation of the finer nuances of both the surrounding area and specific site of interest. Doing so will improve the possibility of proposing the best project for the parcel. Before zeroing in on the Calvin-Nash Rail Site, this report begins with an exploration of Hillsborough at large. A summary of its history, beginning with the colonial era, reveals a colorful past full of rebellious, but respected and influential North Carolinians dedicated to a town that has met its equal share of disappointing and notable events. Evident from the town's history is the paramount role that dynamics between people has played in shaping its course; the report next expounds upon the current balance of its residents. Starting with a sweeping analysis of present day demographics, it delves into a much more revealing essay on the cultural transition Hillsborough is currently undergoing. Interviews with area residents and officials reveal that the town's cultural events serve as a keyhole into understanding this dynamic; the ones most frequently mentioned during these conversations are described in the text. Next, the report sheds light on the major town-wide issues with which the local government has more recently been dealing. They will have both direct and indirect bearing on any type of development project in the downtown area. Also influential in determining the most suitable development for the Calvin-Nash Rail Site are the current and potential development projects in the pipeline. There is no dispute they will reshape the supply of the market. What is interesting, however, is translating each individual's mutated version of what he or she thinks a particular project will be versus actual specifications are; it often reveals some insight about his or her broader notions regarding the trend of development in Hillsborough. Part two of the report focuses in on West Hillsborough and the parcel in question, the Calvin-Nash Rail Site. Beginning with the history of the area, the section next explores the notable former and current land uses in the area. It describes the physical context of the site, including topography, soils, and hydrology to identify any possible characteristics that may derail the financial viability of any development project. Next, the report relates the local government's vision and development rules for the site to the anticipated timeline of the permitting process; like being unprepared for unsuitable physical site characteristics can cause the death of a project, so too can being unfamiliar with the institution in charge of granting the rights for development. This report attempts to consider the range of possibilities for development of the site with fresh eyes; however, it does describe one of the most recent proposals for a re-use plan for the site - that done the Village Project. This effort played an important initial role in de-magnetizing the stigma of investing in West Hillsborough. Since this project in 2001, however, influential factors have either developed or surfaced. Among them are the five listed at the beginning of this section. To this point, the report has been building a context for following development proposal. Upon consideration of other deal-making or breaking factors, it concludes with the suggestion to build a condominium project with a small convenience retail component and some space for civic purposes; these suggestions are supported by a market analysis. The next important steps in this process are figuring out preliminary financial information and pursuing investors. While finding the latter will be challenging given West Hillsborough's waning, but present stigma within town and the site's relative anonymity outside of town, evidence gathered for this report suggests the site is prepared for development when the rail company is willing to allow it to happen.