Mebane Vision Plan

Mebane, NC

Mebane is growing rapidly and wishes to expand the successful historic downtown, raise the profile of the community and develop a denser and more walkable downtown area with opportunities for new commercial, mixed-use and residential uses.  Work included an economic and demographic profile, analysis of existing conditions, recommendations for streetscape and public space improvements including cost estimates, delineation of future uses including redevelopment of key sites, pro formas and implementation strategies and responsibilities.  The plan expands the historic downtown core to the east and west with buildings of similar height, uses and materials.  New residential building types include upper floors of existing commercial buildings, residential above commercial in the expansion areas, live-work units, urban townhomes and 3-4 story garden apartments. Locations for a permanent Farmers Market and a downtown YMCA were also considered.  Mebane has a very busy rail corridor running through the downtown, so the safest pedestrian crossings were identified for improvements.  A largely vacant site to the south of the tracks was recommended for major mixed-use redevelopment (sketch at lower left).  A separated bike route was recommended for the south side of Center Street to connect the downtown to the recently-completed regional park immediately to the west of the study area.   

The overall plan expands the existing historic downtown (beige buildings center right) and adds urban and walkable residential uses nearby. 

A vacant historic industrial building (right) is shown repurposed as a restaurant, catering, and meeting space, and a new residential mixed-use building is added to enclose a proposed semi-public open space.  The renovated historic building to the left is the library. 

This conceptual sketch view of Main Street looking east shows how sidewalks could be expanded and street trees introduced if the overhead lines that now dominate the view can be moved one block north.