As the game-changing Pinewood Forrest development gets underway in the middle of the county, officials are now asking Fayetteville to sign off on a bridge, instead of a tunnel, to cross the street.
The city will consider a request by developer Rick Halbert to substitute a bridge for the tunnel that was agreed upon in 2013. The bridge is estimated to cost just over $863,000 and would be funded by Fayette County, according to an intergovernmental agreement signed by Fayetteville and Fayette County in 2013.
If the city approves the concept at its Thursday meeting, it would then head to the county next week for its approval.
The City Council will also consider two items Thursday night concerning downtown development.
The first would amend the city’s alcohol ordinances concerning growler stores, merchants who sell craft beer by the small keg.
Four years ago, the city created new permitted uses in the Main Street district to include growler stores, wine bars, brewpubs and microbreweries. The council enacted these changes proactively at the time, to help with recruitment efforts for new businesses and attractions within the downtown district.
The DDA has recently been able to recruit a new growler store at 101 South Glynn Street, and with that came discussions regarding the ordinance as originally crafted.
Since 2012 (when the ordinance was created), the growler industry has evolved.
Growler stores in other communities now offer “flights,” which typically consist of four craft beer samples of four ounces each. Also common is to allow “limited pours” of beer to patrons either following the purchase of a flight, or just for a single serving of craft beer.
The ordinance amendment will allow growler store patrons the option of purchasing one flight, plus one limited pour up to 16 ounces within a 24-hour period (32 total ounces). As an alternative, a patron could purchase two limited pours without a beer flight, with the same maximum allowance of 32 ounces per 24 hour period.
The City Council will also consider an advertising agreement with 92.5 The Bear radio station.
The advertising agreement is a one-year agreement, automatically renewable for three additional years with Legacy Media, LLC who operates 92.5 The Bear FM. The contract is for $10,000 annually and the value of each advertising piece.
Promotional pieces include one on one, monthly interviews; station IDs on the hour; and standard commercial spots. The cumulative value of these promotions, according to the city’s staff, will far exceed the city’s monetary annual investment, and should be beneficial in increasing awareness of city events and happenings. Also, staff maintains the relocation of their broadcast studio to downtown Fayetteville will create a new point of interest on the square, as the DJs will be visible through the large windows of that commercial space during their live broadcasts.
