Elon council approves subleasing annex offices to university families

Elon’s town council agreed to turn two empty offices in the municipal annex into rental space, opening the door for Elon University families to set up near the downtown home of Roberts Academy at Elon University. The 5-0 vote on June 17 lets town staff sublease the offices at 104 North Williamson Avenue, a move officials said keeps the building active and brings in modest monthly revenue instead of leaving the space idle.

Jill Weston, the town’s downtown development director, said Elon University had been looking for co-working space near the temporary location of the academy, a specialty school for children with dyslexia. Weston said the request came through parents of incoming students who wanted a place to work while the academy operates downtown. She recommended charging $500 a month for one office and $650 a month for the larger office, and council members approved that plan.

The annex sits across the railroad tracks from Elon’s current municipal building at 104 South Williamson Avenue. The town had leased the North Williamson property from Eddie and Justin Duszlak after they bought it in 2022 and renovated it extensively. Town officials began using the building in 2024 for the downtown development department and police community outreach, after Elon University moved out in spring 2023. The second floor totals about 2,310 square feet, and the earlier town lease was reported at $6,000 a month. Renovation costs were estimated at about $150,000, with the owners covering the construction.

Emily Sharpe raised the only objection, saying the town should do a better job of using the property, but the council did not need a tie-breaker. The decision still marked a practical step for a building with a long civic history. The annex has been described as Elon’s former town hall in the 1960s, before the town moved to its current site on South Williamson Avenue.

The rental plan also reflects the pull of Roberts Academy, which Elon University publicly announced in November 2025. The school was described as the first private school in North Carolina on a university campus and dedicated to serving students with dyslexia. It is temporarily planned for Trollinger House in fall 2026, with a permanent 30,000-square-foot building planned for East Haggard Avenue in fall 2028.

Roberts Academy is expected to start with 24 students, 12 third graders and 12 fourth graders, before adding fifth grade in 2027. Elon reported about 80 inquiries during the application process, and annual tuition was listed at $20,500, with state scholarships and financial aid available. Elon said it is not paying cash for the academy’s expenses, instead contributing leadership and faculty time, and the Roberts family donation amount has not been disclosed.