The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved a proposal that will address parking concerns related to the construction of the new Crown Event Center during their regular meeting Monday.
The Board approved a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) solicitation for a Design-Build contractor to construct a new parking deck on a portion of the existing parking lot behind the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse and Cumberland County Law Enforcement Center. The parking deck will replace parking eliminated by the new Crown Event Center and will support future parking needs for the Courthouse, Law Enforcement Center and Crown Event Center, as well as future growth and development around these County facilities.
Cumberland County Director of Engineering & Infrastructure Jermaine Walker said part of the reason for the parking deck is the new Crown Event Center, which will be constructed on County-owned property in front of the Courthouse in Downtown Fayetteville, which is currently a parking lot. The facility will replace the existing Crown Theatre and Arena, which must close by Oct. 31, 2025.
Following the Board of Commissioners’ announcement of the chosen location of the Crown Event Center in November 2022, one of the most frequent questions from the public and others in the community has been where people will park following the removal of the 203 parking spaces that will be eliminated by the new facility. The proposed parking deck will more than make up for the lost parking spaces and accommodate additional parking capacity needs related to the Crown Event Center with additional capacity to support future development.
Staff anticipates construction of a six-level, double-ramp parking deck with 1,100 stalls of parking. The deck will also incorporate charging stations for electric vehicles. Walker said the estimated project cost is $33 million. Staff recommended using the Design-Build construction delivery method for the project to provide the greatest flexibility to meet the County’s goals and deliver the project within the established timeline.
In terms of a timeline, the RFQ (Number 540) was posted on Tuesday and will close on Monday, Dec. 11. Walker said he anticipates project design starting in early 2024 with completion in mid-2025. Anyone interested in viewing or responding to the RFQ should go to cumberlandcountync.gov/bids and click on “Bid Opportunities” to search for all active bid opportunities.
For more information on the Crown Event Center project, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/crowneventcenter. For more information on Cumberland County Government, go to cumberlandcountync.gov.
