Cumberland County
Chairman Kirk deViere, Commissioner Pavan Patel, and Assistant County Managers Faith Phillips and Sally Shutt attended the 2025 National Association of Counties conference in Washington, D.C., where they met with North Carolina Representatives to discuss legislative funding priorities including water and sewer infrastructure upgrades, federal education funding, mental health and substance use treatment services for youth and technology upgrades for first responders.
The team also advocated for routing the proposed I-685 through Cumberland County, strengthening programs for women, children, senior citizens and veterans and assisting local governments with complying with the Department of Justice mandate for ADA-accessible communications by the April 2026 deadline.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners received an update on current projects on March 13 including the Government Services Center Parking Deck and the Sheriff’s Indoor Training Range upgrade.
The Board of Commissioners voted on March 5 to suspend all work on the Crown Event Center, approved in 2022, for 30 days in order to review and investigate the scope, schedule and budget for the project. Currently, it is budgeted at $144.5 million and is scheduled to open Spring 2027.
The Government Services Center Parking Deck, which was approved in September 2024 to help support the parking needs of the courthouse and the new Crown Event Center, is supposed to be completed in late 2026 and is estimated to cost $33 million. It is currently in the conceptual design phase although Subsurface Utility Engineering was contracted to locate underground utilities in January.
Other engineering projects included in the monthly progress report include:
• Unhoused support center at $17.4 million completion date TBD
• Recovery shelter generators at $3 million to be completed August 2025
• 109 Bradford elevator modernization at $560,000 with a bid awarded on March 5
• Crown Hospitality lobby renovation at $1.5 million to be completed by August 2025
• Crown bathroom remodel at $835,363 with a bid awarded on March 5
• Animal Services isolation building at $1.1 million, currently in the bid phase
• Sheriff’s Indoor Training Range upgrade at $850,000, currently in the bid phase
• Public Health UPS replacement at $300,000, currently in the bid phase
• County facility building systems review at $525,000, currently in the proposal phase
• Historic Courthouse switchgear replacement at $350,000 to be completed March 30
• LEC bathroom and locker room upgrade at $450,000 with contract review phase
City of Fayetteville
At their March 13 meeting, the Fayetteville City Council authorized the temporary waiver of bus fares for all fixed route and paratransit services provided by the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) on four Saturdays in March 2025 from 8 a.m. until noon. The availability of fare-free transit service will remove transportation barriers for young children to access the United Way of Cumberland County’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library Story Time program at area libraries including Cumberland County and Fort Bragg.
The council also adopted a resolution to request the Cliffdale Recreation Center as an additional One Stop Early Voting Site and appropriated funding for an intergovernmental support agreement fund for waste management collection services on Fort Bragg. They appropriated grant funds to allow the Mid-Carolina Council of Governments (MCCOG) to continue the Community Transportation Program, helping elderly and disabled populations to have transportation.
Reports from the City of Fayetteville Economic and Community Development Department and the Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) were approved.
Discussion for the proposed PSAP (911 Call Center) was tabled for their March 24 meeting. The vote was 8 to 1 with Councilman Deno Hondros dissenting.
The PSAP facility project was identified as a top priority in 2022 and is slated to be a 21,000 square foot building with room for growth and training space. Discussion has also included a consolidation or a co-location between Cumberland County and City of Fayetteville programs. Cumberland County moved into a new facility in 2022. However, neither government agency could agree on a satisfactory merging of the two public safety answering points according to the 911 Center & Schrader Group Architecture report in the agenda packet. The City is hoping to secure a grant from the North Carolina 911 grant program.

In other news
Cumberland County Public Library now offers seven days of general admission passes to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden and Fascinate-U Children’s Museum — available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Headquarters Library on Maiden Lane until October and funded by an $852 grant from the Friends of the Cumberland County Public Library.

About the Greater Fayetteville Chamber
Advocacy is a cornerstone of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. Every week, the Chamber dedicates staff to attend City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County meetings as well as monitoring updates on the state and federal levels. We monitor legislation locally, statewide and federally to protect our community’s business interests. With 91% of U.S. adults recognizing a Chamber of Commerce's impact on growth, membership ensures a strong voice in shaping policies, driving economic success, and building a thriving business community—together. To learn more, visit www.faybiz.com.

(Photo courtesy of Fayetteville Area System of Transit's Facebook Page)