Sanford City Council is committed to the Sanford Central Green community greenspace concept, which has been shaped through years of public input about how downtown could best serve the Sanford community.
Council’s vision includes but is not limited to:
- Obtaining and transforming the available area from Charlotte Avenue to Weatherspoon Street between the railroad tracks and First Street, keeping it in the public realm.
- Anchoring the campus with the Sanford Agricultural Marketplace on one end and the Sanford Municipal Center on the other.
- Restoring Little Buffalo Creek to its natural winding path to minimize flooding.
- Restoring/renovating historic structures for innovative uses, such as a mobility hub for ridesharing services and facilities for public use.
- Expanding the City’s walkability with a greenway connector through the campus.
The goal for this project is to transform downtown Sanford and create a foundation for a variety of potential public uses, including festivals, public art displays, youth activities, and more.
In partnership with the NC Cooperative Extension, the City of Sanford, and Downtown Sanford Inc., the Sanford Agricultural Marketplace will serve as a downtown anchor and community epicenter to address food insecurity and improve community infrastructure.
Goals for the Marketplace are:
- Help growers and producers from the Sandhills region expand their consumer base and increase profitability
- Build relationships between community, farmers and food
- Connect consumers to fresh, local and wholesome food
- Address food insecurity and food accessibility issues for our most vulnerable downtown residents
- Create economic opportunities for food entrepreneurship and business innovators
- Provide space for nutrition education and community health and wellness initiatives
Depot Park will soon close to the public as the City of Sanford renovates the Depot building to ensure the historic and beloved structure remains a focal point for the community.
The depot building was built in 1910 to service passengers of three rail companies with stops in Sanford. To save the building from destruction, the Sanford Area Association of Realtors (SAAR) purchased and upfitted it in the early 1990s to use as office space.
The City of Sanford acquired the Depot building from SAAR in 2015. The goal was to preserve and invest in the historic landmark so that it could remain a touchstone for the community for generations to come.