Town council to host parking lot hearing

Plans to give the downtown area a major facelift soon might be one step closer to beginning.

The Chapel Hill Town Council will hold interviews Monday with the two potential firms who will be responsible for phase one in the development of town parking lots 2 and 5.

With a budget of about $59 million, phase one includes construction of a mixed-use facility on lot 5 across from University Square and expansion of the Wallace Deck on Rosemary Street.

Officials predict that phase one could be completed by late 2008.

Two developers — out of the five who were slated to receive request for proposals from the town — submitted a proposal for the project.

Grubb Properties of Charlotte with LeylandAlliance LLC of Tuxedo, N.Y. and Ram Development Co. of Palm Beach Garden, Fla. will present their plans to the council Monday.

“It’s a public-private partnership,” said council member Bill Strom, who also chairs the committee on lots 2 and 5. “I think the committee needs to get a sense of what it will be like moving ahead with one of these teams.”

He added that he was particularly interested in seeing what each company proposes in terms of design elements. During the interview town project consultant John Stainback, members of the council and town staff also will have an opportunity to ask questions.

“We’ll have spent two to three weeks evaluating the proposals so we’ll have a multitude of questions for them,” Stainback said.

Stainback cited a number of factors to consider when selecting a developer, including the capacity to finance the project.

“We’re looking for optimal return on the town’s investment,” he said.

Stainback’s firm will evaluate and score each aspect of the proposals before making a recommendation to the town June 2.

Strom said another round of discussion on the project will be held at that time. He said the council then can decide whether the town can move forward with one company or if more information is needed.

The request states that the town can opt to hire the selected developer for the phase two of the project depending upon performance in phase one, which Strom said will be considered.

The project also includes plans to develop a transit center underneath lot 2 — located behind Spanky’s Restaurant — and construct a parking deck at the RBC Centura Bank on Rosemary Street.

Strom predicted that since the town has grown to its outer limits, projects such as this now will bring development back into to the central areas of town. “We’re coming back into the core of the town.”

Stainback added that the projects will bring many people to the downtown area.

“I think it will create an enormous amount of pedestrian activity on the street.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.