LUMBERTON — A project years in the making to build an annex to the Carolina Civic Center in downtown Lumberton is finally set to move forward after City Council approved a construction contract for the project during the board’s monthly meeting Monday at City Hall.

Council members awarded a contract to Dave’s Construction Service Inc. at a cost of $3,118,066.

“It’s been a long road,” said Richard Sceiford, executive director of the Carolina Civic Center Foundation, who said it has taken about a five- or six-year process to reach this point. “I have thought at some moments that it may not happen, but even at those moments I knew that I had the help, the backing, the knowledge, the brain trust of the city staff, and that’s been all the difference with this project. These folks have many answer that I couldn’t figure out.”

The 8,200-square-foot facility, built on the south end of the Civic Center property on the 300 block of North Chestnut Street, will include a conference area, large lobby, kitchen space, ticket and concession areas, storage and restrooms.

It will take up all the remaining land area that is available on site, said Deputy City Manager Brandon Love.

Sceiford made note of funding received from the Cannon Foundation, Anonymous Trust, Trust Bank and the Lumberton Tourism Development Authority. The city and the foundation have separately received “several rounds” of state appropriations for the project, and two grants from the North Carolina Department of Commerce — acceptance of the second was approved by Council earlier in Monday’s meeting — are related to the project. The foundation also pledged some funding from its reserves, Sceiford said.

Council approved a couple of years back to move forward with the project with the anticipation of having to borrow approximately $1.5 million, but the funding raised means that borrowing that money won’t be necessary.

“I’m tickled that we’re not having to do that,” Love said.

As the city continues an emphasis on downtown revitalization, it sees the Civic Center annex as a huge piece of that puzzle in the future.

“It’s really going to be considered a catalytic project for our downtown redevelopment,” Love said.

Sceiford and the Carolina Civic Center Foundation share that vision, and he believes the venue will be very active once it is constructed.

“My promise to you is that once things are completed, as we’ve done with the existing theater, we’re going to develop this from what was maybe minimal to being utterly successful, with lots of programming, hopefully rentals, special events, regional, statewide, and all of that,” Sceiford said. “I promise you it will be well-managed, and we’ll have a lot of fun and I hope contribute even more to the community.”

The grant funding accepted by Council earlier in Monday’s meeting was a $200,000 Rural Downtown Economic Development Grant through the North Carolina Department of Commerce. This is a companion grant to a previous $900,000 Rural Transformation Grant the city was awarded last year.

With a construction contract now awarded, work is expected to begin soon.

“Now more meetings will occur, but we’re going to be getting underway fairly soon,” Sceiford said. “You’ll know once you see the big construction fence up that things are underway.”

Other business

In other business, Council:

— Approved a $99.8 budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, which will take effect on July 1. For more on the new budget, see the related story here.

— Approved a request by David King to develop an RV park; city ordinances did not include a category to accommodate the development of an RV park or campground within city jurisdiction, so the Planning Department will create a new, standalone land use category to do so.

— Approved motions authorizing the Planning Department to develop the following ordinances: to allow food truck parks within the city’s jurisdiction; to create supplemental regulations addressing lighting, storage and parking at automotive establishments; and to allow existing hotels/motels to be converted into long-term multifamily housing. Once these ordinances are drafted, Council will have to give final approval for them to take effect.

— Approved a contract with the North Carolina Department of Transportation for utility relocations regarding the I-95 widening project; these relocations are located between exit 19 (Carthage Road) and exit 22 (Fayetteville Road) as part of the broader project. This portion of the project will cost the city $1,689,020.40.

— Approved the following allocation of Community Revitalization Funds: $1,300 to Las Amigas Inc. for the Senior Brunch as part of the upcoming community Juneteenth Celebration; $850 for a Community Day in Precinct 2; $400 to the Wycliffe West Homeowners Association for beautification; $400 to the Oakridge Homeowners Association for a Spring Fling event; $300 to the Greater Chrysolite Church for Vacation Bible School; and $200 for a handicap ramp at a home on Spearman Street.