At the Sept. 2 meeting, the Town of Franklin Council announced a contract for property purchase at 144 Carolina Drive has been initiated. The purchase is the latest effort by the Town to locate a suitable property for the ABC Store, currently located 175 Macon Plaza Dr., Franklin. The present location has been rented by the Town for 18 years, and efforts have been ongoing for several years to find a property to purchase that can accommodate the store.
According to Town Manager Amie Owens, a due diligence period on the contract expires Nov. 15, after which a potential closing would occur Dec. 12. Owens reported the purchase price at $799,000.
The latest discussions related to moving the store have been underway for more than two years.
Said Owens, “Originally, there was an option signed for property beside Bojangles (60 Hunnicutt Lane), in November 2022, on which to build a new ABC Store, but that never came to fruition. Being able to utilize existing buildings was a consideration when looking at the property at 144 Carolina Drive.”
She added that a vote was passed to build a new ABC store in the early 2000s, but the effort was not completed and no land was ever purchased.
“We don’t want to move,” said ABC General Manager Todd Mason. “For years, we have leased; since inception. The Town would like to eventually own its own building.” He listed additional factors playing a role in any move, including traffic flow, accessibility, parking for customers, parking for deliveries, and more.
Mason added that many properties have been looked at over the years. In most cases, prices were too high or the proposed building square footage did not meet minimum requirements for space.
“We have plenty of space at our current location. We do not want to downsize,” he said.
According to Mason, any eventual move from the current location would not take place until some time in 2026, at the earliest.
ABC operations are controlled by the State of North Carolina but local branches are owned by associated towns and municipalities. In addition to local logistics affecting the move, North Carolina has been discussing privatization of the liquor licensing responsibility in the state. Depending on the outcome of this year’s election, the General Assembly may decide to make changes to the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) system and accelerate plans for putting the liquor business in the hands of private ownership.
In the end, even if privatization happens or some other adverse factor arises, the Town of Franklin could utilize the Carolina Drive property in another capacity, if it chooses to do so.