News

Fletcher breaks ground on new Town Hall

Mayor Bill Moore addresses the audience at the groundbreaking.

By Tara Johnson, Published: June 28, 2012

FLETCHER — After much anticipation and more than 12 years of planning, the town of Fletcher has now officially begun construction on its new town hall.

Located at the intersection of East Fanning Bridge Road and Old Cane Creek Road, the Fletcher town council held its town hall groundbreaking ceremony Thursday to a large crowd, which included the public and those who have been involved in the project.
The building of the new Fletcher Town Hall is part of the first phase of the improvements waiting to be made to the town of Fletcher, which will also include more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and greenways. The initiative to build a downtown area for the town is known as the "Heart of Fletcher." Once completed, it will bring in new businesses, including offices spaces and retail stores, as well as a potential new residential area.
The building will cost $5.5 million, with $7.11 million being the combined cost of the building and the reconstruction of a portion of Old Cane Road, which is now closed until further notice. Including the land on which the new town hall will reside, the project total is $9.5 million.
The new Fletcher Town Hall facility will include three stories, housing the Fletcher Police Department on the lower level, administration and council chambers on the second floor, and the parks and recreation department as well as a community center on the third floor.
Plans for the current Fletcher Town Hall and Fletcher Police Department are currently undecided. Town officials have discussed the idea of renting the current town hall as a community meeting space, while the current police department could be razed to build community sports fields or to make room for roadways.
The groundbreaking ceremony opened with a heartfelt message of introduction and gratitude from Town Manager Mark Biberdorf. Thanking all the current and previous council members, Biberdorf recognized, "We appreciate your vision and courage in getting this going. You were all a tremendous help."
Following, the First Baptist Church of Fletcher's Associate Pastor, David Gentry gave the invocation.
"This has been a dream and a vision for quite some time now. We knew we had to make preparations to move into the future," said Mayor Moore. "This will benefit our children and our grandchildren to come, and is a true testament to why you don't quit on something if it is important enough."
Other speakers included Mayor Pro Tem Eddie Henderson and Councilman Bob Davy.
Moore recounted about what a journey it has been to get this underway, including having to raise property tax by 5 cents to hurdles such as the economic climate and the near rejection of a USDA loan application. The town cleared the hurdles and got to the groundbreaking.
The town has received a $6.5 million USDA loan and a $3 million traditional loan from SunTrust Bank. It now own 50 acres of land to begin work on the "Heart of Fletcher."
Also speaking were Randy Flack, regional field representative for U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, and Randall Gore, state director of the USDA's Rural Development office.
Speakers and guests alike showed a high level of appreciation for those involved in making this project come to life, as well as an acknowledgment that this project will have a large impact on the town of Fletcher, and what it will do for the community.
Closing remarks were made by Tom Cooper, CEO of Cooper Construction, which won the contract for the work. Cooper fondly remembered working with Stuart Stepp, who was the architect for the building and a close friend. Stepp died unexpectedly before he could see the building come out of the ground. The Hendersonville-based construction company will begin construction immediately.