The UNC Local Relations Committee, part of the UNC Board of Visitors, discussed new University developments in Chapel Hill at a meeting Thursday.
The plan for 123 W. Franklin St., a comprehensive redevelopment of University Square, has faced little opposition from the Chapel Hill community, officials said.
The project will be developed on approximately six acres facing West Franklin Street. The University proposed to replace University Square in two phases, constructing three buildings designated for retail, residential and office space.
The project has yet to be presented to town officials for approval. It will require a special use permit process that could take 12 to 24 months to complete.
The committee also discussed the continued construction of an electric ductbank that runs across Homestead Street all the way to Carolina North. The 40-foot-wide concrete structure will be used to power buildings in the area and future developments on the proposed satellite campus.
Hikers, bikers and environmentalists are complaining to the University about the destruction of forestry and trails in its development. Linda Convissor, the director of Local Relations for UNC, said she is doing her best to respond to each of the complaints.
The ductbank is to be completed by the end of next summer.
Notable:
-At its September meeting, the Chancellor’s Buildings and Grounds Committee approved the site for a research building on the Carolina North campus set to be completed within the next 20 years. The project’s budget is set to cost the University $65 million, but construction cannot begin until the Horace Williams airport is closed.
-The University is leasing land space to the Inter-faith Council for Social Service (IFC) for the development of a shelter designed to house homeless men. The town has approved the special use permit for the building but added the stipulation of a Good Neighbor Plan, which addresses concerns regarding matters such as loitering.
Quotable:
“It is a win-win situation for the town and the University to align their interests,” said Anita Badrock, chairwoman of the UNC Local Relations Committee, in reference to 123 W. Franklin St.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
