A request from the developers of the 140 West Franklin project has led the town to delay reopening Church Street to traffic until mid-August, causing many Chapel Hill residents and students to grow tired of the wait.
“The project is on track, but we’re concerned about pedestrian safety because there is still a lot of construction going on,” Kendria Sweet, spokeswoman for Ram Development Company, said.
Developers broke ground on the $55 million mixed-use development — located at the corner of West Franklin and Church streets — in January 2011.
The project will include 140 condominiums, 26,000 square feet of retail space and 337 parking spaces.
Emphasizing pedestrian safety, Sweet said the town agreed that the best solution is to allow Church Street to remain closed to traffic for an additional period of time.
Although pedestrians will have access to Church Street throughout all six phases of the construction, some students have expressed concern about the lack of lighting and seclusion of the pathway.
Senior Jessica Merrill, who lives off Church Street, said she has gotten used to the detour, but she avoids using it at night.
“It’s inconvenient and the path is not safe when it’s dark,” she said. “They put in some lights, but I won’t walk through … by myself.”
Kaitlyn Warren, a political science major, is also disappointed.
“The delay is expected, but it’s obnoxious that we have to keep dealing with this,” Warren said.
