AUGUST 2024
FROM THE TOWN MANAGER’S DESK

Dear Elizabethtown Residents,

It’s been a while since we last updated you on the Community Center project on MLK Drive, but we want you to know that we are dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming space that will boost community pride and inspire revitalization in the New Town neighborhood and the MLK corridor.

At the August meeting, the Elizabethtown Town Council awarded the contract for the Community Center’s construction to DeVane Builders of Elizabethtown. Construction is set to begin soon. The design of the building has been shaped by feedback from focus groups that included youth, residents, business owners, and clergy connected to the New Town area. We have focused on ensuring that the center meets the needs of its primary users: youth, senior citizens, and organizations dedicated to health, wellness, socialization, and education. The center will offer diverse spaces and activities while celebrating our community’s rich history and culture. We appreciate your patience and look forward to sharing more updates as the project progresses.

To read more on the plans for the Community Center, see our August 2024 Update.

The Council also made a few changes to the Advisory Board for the Community Center by appointing New Town resident Yvonne Dunham and replacing Councilman Rich Glen with Councilwoman Paula Greene.

Three local students shared their ideas about the planned Community Center with the Elizabethtown Council at the August Town Council meeting. Pictured here with Mayor Sylvia Campbell are (l. to r.) Andre Laut, Sincere Jones, and  Leila Ward.

 ACTIONS FROM THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING ON AUGUST 5:

• The Town Council authorized the submission of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Application to secure funds for the purchase of Incubator #5 at 518 Ben Greene Industrial Park Road in the Elizabethtown Industrial Park. A resolution to authorize the submission was approved after two public hearings were conducted; one at the noon work session and one at the beginning of the 7 pm Town Council meeting. The grant will provide the Town with $2.42 million to purchase the former Anthem Sign building and then lease the building to an aerospace manufacturer, bringing 55 new jobs to the area. There is no local match required on this grant.
• The Town Council authorized the submission of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Application to secure funds for the construction of an airplane manufacturing facility in the Elizabethtown Industrial Park. The resolution to authorize the submission was approved after two public hearings were conducted; one at the noon work session and one at the beginning of the 7 pm Town Council meeting. The grant will secure $4.4 million for the construction of a building to house Vulcanair, the fifth American-owned airplane manufacturer, bringing 155 new jobs to the area. There is no local match required on this grant.

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 2    Labor Day – Town offices closed
September 9    Town Council Meeting
October  7       Town Council Meeting
October 11      Cycle NC Tour comes to Elizabethtown
October 11      Pink Out, Cape Fear Farmers Market
October 13      The Smithfield Cup, Cape Fear Winery & Distillery