CityView Magazine

20 June 2022 'Good things happening' Downtown, Haymount projects will bring significant transformation BY MICHAEL FUTCH FEATURE R enaissance may be too strong a word, but the commercial core of Fayetteville — from the downtown area to the historic Haymount District — is in the process of a significant transformation. Projects underway include the North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center, renovations to Cape Fear Regional eatre and a new multipurpose events center to replace the aging Crown eatre and Crown Arena that may be located downtown. ere also is discussion about an African American museum downtown and a gathering place for food trucks in Haymount. "We've got a lot of good things happening in Haymount," said Johnny Dawkins, who represents the neighborhood on the Fayetteville City Council. e $80 million Civil War history center will be built off Arsenal Avenue at the intersection of Hay Street and the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway and will become part of the state-supported Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. Proponents say it would be the first state- supported museum in the nation to provide an interpretation of the Civil War and Reconstruction era from the perspective of an entire state. Cape Fear Regional eatre, which has entertained audiences since 1962, is in the midst of a $16 million renovation and expansion that will upgrade the building for decades to come. e last time the building was renovated was in 1988. e Cumberland County Board of Commissioners has identified three potential sites for a new multipurpose events center, a project that has the working title Crown Event Center. Downtown is among the possible locations. e Crown theater and arena are expected to close in November 2025. Here's a closer look at these projects: N.C. Civil War & Reconstruction History Center e initial phase of the history center, the VanStory History Village, is complete thanks to funding from the state. ree Civil War and Reconstruction era homes were restored and transformed to use for educational programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade and for research and scholarship by students and faculty members of colleges and universities. David Winslow, the senior consultant for the Civil War history center, said organizers are ready to move forward with Phase 2, construction of an outdoor education pavilion. A boardwalk is expected to be laid along the ruins of a former federal arsenal, and parking will be added to accommodate school buses. e history center is designed to be an education center rather than a collecting museum, according to the history center's website. e project, Winslow says, has received an initial $29.8 million in state funding, and the second and final allocation of $29.8 million is anticipated in August for construction of a 60,000-square-foot main building. A groundbreaking for the new history center was planned for June 2. In addition to private donations, Winslow says the city and Cumberland County are significant partners in helping get the museum up and running. "We want to make sure we've got good numbers," Winslow says, noting the nationwide rise in the cost of construction supplies in recent years. He said no decision has been made on what will happen to the Museum of the Cape Fear facilities. Once the Civil War & Reconstruction History Center is complete, Winslow says, "it will certainly mean more activity in the area. We're projecting visitation between 75,000 to 130,000 a year visiting the site and museum and history center.'' e Urban Land Triangle Institute did a study on the impact of the history center and how to make Haymount more pedestrian- friendly, Winslow says. City officials requested that the institute convene a panel focused on "creating Cape Fear Regional Theatre, which has entertained audiences since 1962, is in the midst of a $16 million renovation. The initial phase of the N.C. Civil War & Reconstruction History Center, the VanStory History Village, is complete thanks to funding from the state.

• Cover