City leaders announced Friday that in concert with the North Carolina Department of Transportation they’ve identified a location in downtown Sanford for a possible long-discussed mobility hub.
Sanford government issued a press release indicating that a triangle shaped city block bounded by South Steele, Cole and South Moore streets had been identified as the mobility hub’s possible location. According to the press release, a mobility hub is a central location for transit services, and would help connect Sanford to other communities along the proposed S-Line rail project.
“While the S-Line may be another decade in the making, Amtrak stops could start sooner, says David Montgomery, the City’s long-range planner and lead on the project,” reads the release. “Currently, Amtrak passes through Sanford twice daily, but does not stop. A mobility hub would provide the infrastructure needed to make Sanford a destination.”
The project is not currently funded and is somewhat aspirational, but as the council moves closer to realizing it, it became important to identify a site around which plans could be formed. As such, it’s possible the location could change. But for now, city government has its sights on the Cole Street site, which is made up of several parcels that are currently privately owned and home to a number of various businesses.
The council chose the site over another nearby location at the intersection of Hawkins and Charlotte avenues, overlooking the Singer Building and the site of the city’s proposed Sanford Central Green. The Singer Building was recently the subject of a lawsuit from a developer who had expressed interest in doing a development there.
“The Cole Street site can accommodate a larger hub, is better situated for train access, and opens up economic development opportunities to the southern side of downtown,” Montgomery explained in the city’s press release, which can be read in full here.
The press release also included multiple designs for what the mobility hub might look like:
