The North Carolina ABC Commission voted unanimously to approve plans to build a new liquor store in Morrisville Wednesday, which will replace the existing outlet store and significantly increase the number of products available.
The new store will be located at 2525 Page Road and was requested by the local Durham County ABC board. A 2,400-square-foot shoebox-style liquor store currently exists in the plaza and will be replaced by a new 6,000-square-foot standalone shop, more than doubling the store’s capacity.
That means shoppers could see as many as 300 new products on the shelves, said Durham ABC General Manager Niegel Sullivan.
The $2 million project is self-funded through the Durham ABC board’s profits, Sullivan said. The county is under contract to purchase the land for the store by the end of 2021 and construction could begin as early as 2022.
That means the new shop likely won’t open until 2023.
The project came at the request of consumers wanting more variety on the shelves after the General Assembly looked into potentially privatizing the state-run system in 2019.
“One of the biggest pieces of feedback was that consumers in the state wanted stores with more products, and obviously to have more products you have to have a larger store,” Sullivan said.
The county currently has eight liquor stores and all but one are located in the city of Durham. The new store will not increase the number of liquor stores in the county, as the former location will be shuttered once the new shop opens.
Follow Interim Editor-in-Chief Leigh Tauss on Twitter or send an email to ltauss@indyweek.com.
Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.