Richard Roedner, town manager for the town of Elon, announced that the town government is renting the building on 104 N. Williamson Ave, in downtown Elon. The town will be relocating its new downtown development department there, as well as establishing the Elon Police Department’s community outreach program.
The location used to be Elon’s town hall in the 1960’s before moving to their current town hall across the train tracks at 104 S. Williamson Ave. Now, according to Roedner, the town government is reclaiming the spot to expand their office space. They are renting the location from the property owners at $6,000 per month. Jill Weston, downtown development director for the town of Elon, and her staff, will relocate her department to the new office, giving the town hall more of a presence in downtown Elon.
“It will be a place to promote downtown Elon,” Roedner said. “People who happen to be coming into town can poke their head in and learn about what activities or events are going on.”
The town government is leasing this location because there is no more room in the current town hall. The town hall building shared between the town government and Elon police department is around 7000 square feet. According to Roedner both the town hall and Elon Police Department both lack the space to accommodate their staff members. Elon University used to rent out the location on 104 N. Williamson Ave. But after they moved out in spring 2023, the town government saw the potential in renting the space.
“We realized that ‘hey, that’s an opportunity for us to address our need and give the owner the assurance that he needs to invest in that property.” Roedner said.
Second-story staircase opening of 104 N. Williamson Ave before renovations.
The location on 104 N. Williamson Ave is expected to have two floors, totaling at 2,310 square feet. The cost of the renovations were estimated to be $150,000. However, the construction cost will be paid for by the property owners and the town government will be paying rent. The location has been undergoing renovations since November 2023, and according to a statement from Eddie Duszlak, one of the property owners of 104 N. Williamson Ave, to Elon News Network, it is expected to be completed sometime during the spring.
“My wife, Justin, and I care deeply for the Town of Elon, and are thrilled to see the transformation taking place at 104 North Williamson,” Duszlak wrote.
Elon Police Department is in a similar position to the town hall. According to Kelly Blackwelder, chief of police for the town of Elon, the Elon Police Department building is at capacity. They have 30 staff members, but have to either share desks or divide spaces into small nooks that leave little room for privacy.
“We have four sergeants that all share the same office,” Blackwelder said. “We’re doing a lot more with a lot less and have been trying to work around that.”
The downtown development department is responsible for the establishment and retention of businesses in downtown Elon. They are also responsible for arranging events such as the farmer’s market. However, something Roedner wants to fix is that there is no public information space about the town and what goes on in the community. He intends to add one to the new department.
“It will be a public information spot that isn’t necessarily relying on having a body at a desk,” Roedner said. “It will be a place where people come in and get information about what is going on in the area.”
The Elon Police Department plans to build an office for its Community, Advocacy, Response and Engagement Team. The CARES team will be responsible for engaging with the community in a non-enforcement manner. But more importantly, the office said this space will provide a safe location that avoids the stigma of going to a police station. According to Blackwelder, some people feel that when reporting a crime, they feel they are being interrogated rather than safe and assured. Therefore, she hopes that this new office will create a neutral, welcoming space where people can engage with law enforcement.
“Being so close to downtown will put officers in the area more frequently,” Blackwelder said. “Just socializing, maybe going to get a cup of coffee, will give people a different perspective of who we are, what we do and how we do it.”
Roedner is excited about the completion of the downtown developmental department. He said having the town hall across the train tracks has worked for them so far, but having a space in downtown Elon will allow them to expand the town government’s accessibility.
“It will help us demonstrate our value of the importance of downtown by putting ourselves out there and making ourselves accessible to everybody,” Roedner said.