A new public space will replace the parking lot behind Raising Cane's, at the corner of Rosemary and Columbia streets in Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson said she thinks most Town residents want a gathering space in downtown Chapel Hill where people can get together and be in a community, similar to Carrboro's Weaver Street.
While there’s no official design plan for the space right now, Anderson said the space will capture the ideas from the community before the Town commits to a permanent setup. She said the project's design will be flexible.
Brian Peterson, an urban designer with the Town, said he is leading a group working to draw up initial plans for the lot, officially called the Tactical Urbanism Pilot Project. He said there are not any design plans yet, but the group will attempt to create a gathering space for residents, students and visitors to Chapel Hill.
“This is kind of like a learning by doing exercise and it should be a lot of fun for folks," Peterson said. "Some ideas might work, some might not. That's kind of the purpose to figure that out."
When the space first opens, community members will be able to provide feedback on elements they like and what they think should change, Anderson said.
She said the Town is trying to have an initial setup for the public space by summertime.
“The [town] council will be part of the budget process and figuring out what a longer term, more permanent solution will cost and how to fund it,” Anderson said.
Susana Dancy, a Chapel Hill resident and a managing partner for a firm called Rockwood Development Group, first approached Anderson with the idea for converting the parking lot into a new downtown space in late October.
