On Thursday, Sept. 5, the Town of Aberdeen Planning Board convened to discuss the future of Junction Hall, a proposed adaptive reuse project at 124 West Main Street in downtown Aberdeen.
Junction Hall was previously defined in December 2023 to be a “state-of-the-art food hall concept,” and though the Planning Board welcomes the commerce, members questioned the efforts made to keep Junction Hall in line with the town’s historic preservation guidelines.
Jonathan Cauthen, who leads the project alongside his wife, was present to review the submitted plans. The Cauthens envision transforming the historic two-story, 15,000-plus-square-foot commercial building into a food hall designed to be a communal space that “celebrates the cultural richness of the Sandhills region.”
“Looking at this building, we knew it was the perfect space for what we want to do and the perfect candidate for revitalization,” said Cauthen. “Our intent has always been to pay homage to the history of Aberdeen with a thoughtful vision of the past and also how we will take it into the future.”
Cauthen was joined by two representatives from Square Feet Studio, an integrated architecture, design, and planning firm that has overseen a wide variety of adaptive reuse projects in cities across the south from Charlotte to Birmingham.
Renovation Plans
The renovation, classified as a Major Certificate of Appropriateness due to the extent of the proposed changes, will include replacing storefront windows and glass, deteriorated wood doors, and existing awnings. New folding windows will be installed, and the building’s exterior will undergo a significant update, including adding a walk-up takeout window, a coat of paint, several new entrances, and a patio area with tables, chairs, and a new railing.
All proposed plans must be deemed in keeping with the Aberdeen Historic District Design Review Guidelines. Per the official guideline verbiage, they are intended to “assist property owners … when they are planning changes to the exteriors of their properties. The guidelines also assist the Aberdeen Historic Preservation Commission and its staff in determining the appropriateness of proposed changes.”
Board members were reminded that they were only approving exterior renovations and could not be influenced by the interior of the building or perceived issues with the business model.
Preservation vs. Modernization: The Paint Debate
The most contentious point raised was the proposal to paint the building’s brick exterior, which divided opinions.
When the discussion opened, board member Barbara Allred immediately asked, “Why do you feel like you need to cover the brick with some kind of paint?”
“We went through a thoughtful process working with our architects, and with the significant disrepair that some of the masonry components are in today, we feel it’s the most logical solution,” answered Cauthen. “It would be very difficult to have a clean, cohesive look. Years of damage have left the building in disrepair. According to the experts we’ve spoken with, it would be beneficial to the longevity of the building.”
Chair Janet Peele was unconvinced. “There are brick matching places,” she said. “Brick can be replaced. You just couldn’t go to Lowes and buy it and expect it to match old mortar.”
In addition to research and documentation, Cauthen also produced physical paint samples, which were more of an “oyster shell” color than the stark white used in the initial building renderings. The off-white color matches a handful of already-painted buildings downtown, and several of the board members noted this color was more to their liking.
However, board member Diane Innes circled back to the paint choice several times throughout the meeting.
“I’d like to ask why there’s such a difference in paint color from neighboring buildings. Is there even an attempt to blend in?” asked Innes.
Cauthen presented a labeled map of the historic district that labeled every painted building, including numerous white and gray buildings near Junction Hall. Several members had to ask for help identifying painted buildings, and Google Streetview had to be opened to allow the Aberdeen Planning Board to see the streets of the historic district.
Despite remaining concerns, the majority of the Planning Board, including members Adriana M. Janker and Tim Brooks, sided with Cauthen, voicing support for the repainting plan.
“I don’t love that they’re proposing to paint it, but with their justification of why they’re painting it and the damage that’s done to the existing brick, I don’t know if there’s a compromise to be had,” said Janker.
Ultimately, the decision to paint the building passed by a majority vote, with five board members – Janker, Bone, Marcham, Pomeranz, and Allred – plus Chair Janet Peele voting in favor of allowing the repainting and revitalization of the building to proceed.
Other renovations
By the end of the meeting, the Planning Board voted to approve most of the proposed changes. Several specific elements were passed unanimously, including the replacement of existing doors and windows, removal of the “dated” awnings above the second-story windows, and the addition of sliding windows.
After checking the verbiage in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a walk-up window for pickup orders was also permitted, provided that the UDO approves it. “We’ve forced businesses to turn their entire building plans to not have the takeout window facing a street,” recalled Peele. “It’s why we lost Chick-fil-A. They wanted a corner lot like this one and couldn’t have their window facing the road, so they went elsewhere.”
However, the project did not escape without modifications. The Planning Board rejected Cauthen’s proposed planters, stating they did not align with Aberdeen’s beautification standards. Cauthen accepted this and agreed to work with committees specifically designed for beautification in Aberdeen.
Junction Hall now moves forward with the Planning Board’s backing, marking the next step in revitalizing downtown Aberdeen.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing with Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
