Designers present town hall feasibility study; estimated construction cost about $13.8 million

Design consultants presented a feasibility study on Sept. 8 for a proposed Pittsboro Town Hall on the parcel now occupied by Little Tykes Learning Academy. The design team described a roughly 26,000‑square‑foot building: a one‑story government or legislative wing (council chamber and public lobby) of about 15,500 square feet and a two‑story administrative wing of about 10,005 square feet.

Siobhan Flore, a business partner with Frank Land Design, introduced the team and the site context. Designers showed a plan with three masses — a one‑story government wing, a two‑story administrative wing and a covered connector — and a public plaza adjacent to the council chamber. The first‑floor footprint includes a public lobby, council chamber with flexible seating that designers said would accommodate roughly 100 people, public restrooms and mayor’s office; the second floor was shown as primarily office space with about 17 private offices and additional open workstations.

Project and site details presented by the consultants included: - Site location and context: the parcel sits between Thompson Street and Salisbury Street, about three blocks from Hillsborough Street; planners said it is about 2.5–3 acres. - Program and footprint: roughly 15,500 sq. ft. on the first floor and 10,005 sq. ft. on the second floor; flexible council chamber designed to seat about 100 and allow multiple configurations. - Estimated construction cost: the project’s professional cost estimator produced a construction estimate of about $13.8 million for building plus site work (approximately $544 per square foot); the estimate did not include design fees, furniture, owner’s contingency or escalation for future inflation. - Optional items: an allowance for a fire sprinkler system (presented as a separate line item of roughly $327,000), and an allowance of $150,000 for an emergency generator.

Commissioners and the public asked detailed questions about trees, preserving specimen trees on the site, stormwater and flooding, solar panels and roof orientation, parking counts and the town’s budget. Commissioner Foley pressed for a cost analysis of adding roof‑integrated solar; consultants said the building orientation had substantial south‑facing roof area and that integrated solar could be explored. Multiple commissioners urged the design team to study strategies to reduce parking footprint, improve pedestrian separation from the street and incorporate stormwater best practices including tree wells and rain gardens.

Town staff noted a significant gap between the conceptual construction estimate and the town’s previously discussed budget. Staff estimated total all‑in costs (including design and contingencies) could reach about $15–$18 million, which exceeded the current budget estimate by several million dollars. Staff asked permission to issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) for public facility design and construction services and to explore delivery methods (design‑build vs. construction manager at risk) that would provide greater budget certainty while permitting a design that meets the town’s needs; the board authorized the manager to issue that RFQ.

Why this matters: the town hall project is a multi‑year capital decision with direct implications for the town’s debt, downtown site activation and space for municipal services. The feasibility numbers will guide whether the town moves forward, scales back the project or seeks alternative delivery and funding strategies.

Provenance: presentation and Q&A began during the designers’ presentation and continued through public and commissioner questions during the Sept. 8 meeting.