Crews are digging up areas next to Fayetteville’s historic courthouse to add parking spaces and other improvements. The left eastbound lane of Stonewall Avenue will be reconfigured to add 15 angled and parallel parking spaces, which Economic Development Director Brian Wismer said will improve customer access to businesses across the street. Upgraded sidewalks, crosswalks and landscaping will also be added.

The area around the courthouse square has been renovated by degrees during the last decade as more boutique stores and restaurants have moved in. That plus community events on the courthouse lawn have prompted the need for more parking and safer pedestrian access. Construction is scheduled to be finished in the spring. Wismer said the upgrades will “tie in nicely” with the new City Hall and park complex just down the street, which is also nearing completion.