Carolina North development making little tangible progress

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the size of the Carolina North development. In the first 20 years of the project, the satellite expansion is expected to occupy 133 acres of land with 3 million square feet of development. The story has been updated to reflect this change. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

University officials held a public information meeting Monday to give an update on the development of UNC’s satellite campus, Carolina North — but there was not much progress to report.

Carolina North has been a work in progress for more than two decades. Located approximately two miles north of UNC’s main campus and on 1,000 acres of University-owned land along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Carolina North is meant to become an academic mixed-use campus.

Construction of the project is on hold, said Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for facilities services.

“We are continuing to look at some options, but right at the moment, we have no firm plans,” Runberg said. “When we do, we will let everybody know.”

The satellite expansion is expected to occupy 133 acres of land with 3 million square feet of development. By comparison, UNC's main campus now occupies 729 acres of land with 20 million square feet of development. 

Despite some development in 2013 with the completion of an underground pipeline that will provide clean energy for the site, actual construction of buildings for the campus has yet to begin.

“We have not yet broken ground, but have continued to do active land management,” said Anna Wu, assistant vice chancellor and University architect.

Wu presented the 2014 Carolina North Annual Report and highlighted projects completed this year, including a greenway and an electric duct bank.

Horace Williams Airport, which is located at the proposed Carolina North site, will need to be closed once construction begins, said Susan Hudson, a spokeswoman for the University.

“Before the first building can be built, we’ll have to close it, but we’re not about to build anything just yet,” she said.

Both Wu and Runberg said financial constraints are at the root of the problem in regards to beginning construction.

“Some of the unknowns that we are dealing with are the limitations in the state budget,” Runberg said. “We are hopeful in the coming years that the state finances will improve.”

Although little progress was reported, Chapel Hill residents said they remain optimistic about Carolina North.

“This meeting was very jovial, and there was no controversy,” said Sandra Rich, a Chapel Hill resident who attended the meeting. “A lot of the earlier problems are worked out.”

“They listened very well to the residents in the community,” Rich said. “There will be unforeseen problems that arise, but the University has done a good job of listening and responding appropriately.”

Runberg said he also shares this feeling of optimism.

“We are still hopeful,” he said. “We want it to fly, to commence.”

city@dailytarheel.com