So, we've set an agenda.  Now is the time to get to work.  Read this month's Government Matters to learn more about the implementation of Chapel Hill 2020, the new face of Carrboro, and how the Chamber has been advocating for YOUR business interests in the past month!

Chamber staff and board members have been busy advocating for your business interests. When an incredible opportunity for our downtown came before Chapel Hill Town Council, four Chamber board members and two staff members came to say why 123 W. Franklin - and proposed retail, housing, office, and parking - would be good for our downtown. The project, bringing $80-$100 million in investment to our Town, was unanimously approved. Read more here and here.  

The WORK of Chapel Hill 2020 continues...

This week offers two opportunities to hear about planning for the Ephesus Church/Fordham Blvd and Estes/MLK areas of town. Mark your calendars for meetings to discuss the opportunities for redevelopment at Ephesus Church/Fordham Blvd (Feb. 28) and also what the Central West Focus Area committee has been working on for the Estes Drive/MLK Jr. Blvd area (Mar. 2). The Chamber asked you, through surveys and focus groups, what vision you had for Chapel Hill and made recommendations for the revision of the comprehensive plan. Though Chapel Hill 2020 was approved in June of last year, the work of implementing the new plan continues.  We hope that you continue to participate.  

Caution: Wo/Men at WORK

Carrboro's first parking deck is about to come out of the ground! The 500-space parking deck will provide free parking for 300 East Main customers and for the public patronizing downtown Carrboro businesses. Construction of the 300 East Main parking deck is scheduled to begin February 28th and take approximately six weeks. Drivers and pedestrians are reminded they can detour via Merritt Mill Road and East Rosemary Street when needed and all businesses will remain open during construction. The plan that has been developed is to minimize disruption to vehicular and pedestrian traffic and to avoid impacts to the business community. Read more here and here.

Manufacturing WORKs

Kristen Smith attended the Institute for Emerging Ideas' Manufacturing Works conference. It was an incredible two days to talk about how our community can look at manufacturing in a new way and how there is potential job growth for our state. The conference came away with three main goals:

• Encourage communities to connect businesses and educators;
• Develop infrastructure plans; and
• Seek to rebrand manufacturing.

How much do you know about new manufacturing in North Carolina? Take their interactive quiz! Want to know what's already going on in the state? Listen to the stories of new manufacturers throughout North Carolina in these short videos. Do you have ideas on what this means for Orange County? Let Kristen know or submit an idea at the Institute's interactive commons.