Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012

Garner buying land along Montague

The town wants to encourage development, create a downtown gateway.

The town is buying more property along Montague Street, hoping to open the area for development and creating a gateway to downtown Garner.

Town leaders agreed last month to spend $35,000 to buy less than a half-acre of property at 324 Montague, near the intersection of U.S. 70. Garner bought another property at the intersection last month. That site is also less than half an acre.

The stretch of newly acquired land could allow the town to widen and realign Montague Street, giving drivers along U.S. 70 easy access to downtown, said John Hodges, executive director of the Garner Revitalization Association.

Town leaders have said for years they want to breathe new life into downtown. Once the heart of Garner, the area has suffered as growth has shifted to shopping plazas along U.S. 70 and U.S. 401.

Hodges has said the town will likely need to spend money on the area to help entice private developers to build there. A couple of years ago, Garner adopted a plan that calls for restaurants, retail shops and new housing downtown.

Last summer, the town bought 1.5 acres at Montague and Main streets for an expected price of $260,000. A run-down house on the property was razed.

Another 1.5 acres of undeveloped land nearby could provide a space large enough for an anchor project, such as a library or community center, Hodges said.

"Realistically, I think it will take the anchor development first before the private development will follow," he said.

The property at 324 Montague contains an old house that will likely be torn down. The adjacent lot is undeveloped.

That area, which makes up less than one acre, is likely too small for development, Hodges said. But the property could pave the way for a wider street.

"Mainly we're looking at that as a way to improve Montague Street," he said.

The design firm Kimley-Horn and Associates, which has offices in Raleigh, will be in charge of creating road-improvement plans for the area. The company is also designing road upgrades near the interchange of U.S. 70 and Interstate 40.

The town council was expected to talk specifics about road upgrades to Montague during its meeting on Tuesday.

WakeMed plans to break ground soon on a medical facility and emergency room along U.S. 70 not far from Montague. Hospitals and medical centers often attract growth, which could creep west toward downtown.

"Eventually that could play into the future development of the area," Hodges said.

Mayor Ronnie Williams said he would like to see developers build office space and a restaurant near Montague. "It's exciting, but at the same time we're moving at a pace that's not too fast," he said.

Major development would likely require more property. When talks began about redeveloping downtown, Hodges said, some people worried that plans would displace residents.

But several property owners have approached the GRA and said they were interested in selling, he said.

"I think the opposite is what has happened," Hodges said.