JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – Construction to remove the brick pavement on Court Street and convert it to a two-way road has been delayed to April 16th after a local business said it was not notified ahead of time.
The City of Jacksonville announced Saturday in a Facebook post that construction was supposed to begin Monday on Court Street. The start date has now been pushed back by two weeks.
The bricks on Court Street in Jacksonville were laid in the 1990s. Clove Hitch Beer Company co-owner Kevin Ryan said he is not happy about the plan to pave over them.
“Our brick building is beautiful. To put a black top street down the road, it just kind of makes it seem like another main road that you ignore as you drive by, especially with no plans of having median planters or anything like that,” Ryan said.
City Manager Joshua Ray said the project is part of a downtown revitalization effort that began in 2021. He said Court Street is phase two of a three-step process. He said the city is exploring options to preserve the area’s character.
“What we’re going to do is look at a stamped asphalt that would have the same aesthetic look, but it wouldn’t have the challenges that brick pavers have inside of a roadway,” Ray said.
Ray said the current plan is to remove the brick and make it two ways all the way through. He said the city views Clove Hitch as an anchor tenant downtown and hopes this will attract more tenants to create a vibrant economy with more foot traffic.
The city also isn’t ruling out eventually adding apartments downtown with businesses in the bottom and apartments up top.
Hailey Leo co-owns Clove Hitch Beer Company alongside Ryan and said removing the brick would make the city less appealing.
“I think that is up for debate on what progression looks like. I don’t personally think that tearing up brick and covering it with pavement is going to help growth, especially since I think the brick adds character and charm,” Leo said.
The owners also expressed concerns about potential economic impacts because they have outdoor seating on Court Street, which is where much of their revenue comes from.
Ray said the project will cost roughly $200,000 in taxpayer dollars and last about three to four months.
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