Why is this important?
The Ephesus Church/Fordham area includes Eastgate, Village Plaza, and Ram’s Plaza, and lies at the intersection of Fordham Boulevard and East Franklin Street. The largest developer is Madison Marquette who owns Rams Plaza. This project represents a major redevelopment opportunity and is being spearheaded by the Town’s economic development division. This proposal is unusual because the Town has committed economic development funds to conduct a small area plan and several development scenarios. Development costs could be shared between the Town, the NC Department of Transportation, property owners, and developers. This project is also notable in that Town staff asked the Sustainable Community Visioning Task Force to begin considering this area just before the group was disbanded last spring.
What’s the latest?
Planners have come back with three visions for the area; each varies on the degree of connectedness (primarily new connecting roads between the main arteries) the amount of green space, emphasis on mixed use, the role of public transit, and, of course, the ultimate cost. Information on the proposals and the project are available the Town’s project website.
Neighbors For Responsible Growth 