Fayetteville works on more downtown parking

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Work has begun to create more parking in the area of the old county courthouse on the square in Fayetteville. Photo/City of Fayetteville.
Work has begun to create more parking in the area of the old county courthouse on the square in Fayetteville. Photo/City of Fayetteville.

Construction has begun on Fayetteville’s Courthouse Square to convert an underused highway lane into additional on-street parking spaces and safer pedestrian access while resulting in better vehicle traffic movement through the area. City leaders say the results will benefit the public as well as businesses located immediately around the Historic Fayette County Courthouse.

Crews recently began digging up the left lane of Stonewall Avenue (Highway 54 eastbound) adjacent to the Courthouse and Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. In its place, crews are installing a combination of angled and parallel parking spaces, upgraded sidewalks and crosswalks, and new landscaping.

“When the work is complete, we will gain 15 parking spaces in that area, which will improve customer access to the businesses across the street. They’ve been asking for this for over 10 years now,” said Economic Development Director Brian Wismer. “Construction should be complete in the spring.”

The “Old Courthouse,” as it is often called, is the community’s most recognizable landmark, and the lawn has been used for decades as a site for public events that draw people to the historic downtown district. Buildings along the Square have been renovated over the last decade to accommodate boutique retail and restaurant uses.

“This will be an exciting year for our downtown,” Wismer said. “We’re looking forward to these improvements around our iconic Courthouse, and how they tie in nicely to the nearly completed Fayetteville City Hall & City Center Park project just down the street.

“Whether people are just passing through, or if they’re here to shop and dine, we hope they will find it easier and safer to navigate through our downtown,” Wismer continued. “And we’re really just getting started. As the Walton Communities and Meridian on the Square projects come online, Downtown Fayetteville will become more of that thriving, center of activity that our residents have said for years that they would love to have.”

 

9 COMMENTS

    • Nah, we’ve already paved over enough land. It would be better if we used what we have already built on in a more efficient manner leaving the undeveloped land for people to hike around and enjoy as it is.