University Square
The Chapel Hill Town Council held a second public hearing tonight on the rezoning and redevelopment of the University Square/123 West Franklin Street complex. UNC Chancellor Thorp made opening remarks about the redevelopment, calling it key for our downtown and detailing the need for more housing, parking, and green space downtown. Chancellor Thorp remained for the entirety of the two-hour discussion, which ended up being a very fortunate thing.
![[Mr. Bull]](https://indyweek.com/downloads/34452/download/toon-2011-09-14.jpe?cb=f4c957f9e7b68350f76f7ccc0e4b2b20)
Apparently I was quoted in the News & Observer after last week's information session about UNC's proposed redevelopment of University Square. I didn't notice that story, but today a colleague said something to me about a cartoon in the Independent Weekly. Wha? After some hunting I found this V.C Rogers illustration "Mr. Bull" which features my statement that "Durham has been kicking our ass, Chapel Hill has to catch up."
While I'm not especially proud of how articulate that one (out of context) quotation was, I do stand behind it. Seeing the way the Indy cartoon twisted my point made me want to expand or at least explain a little more.
In July, the University’s Chapel Hill Foundation
Real Estate Holdings Inc. purchased the 12-acre University Square and Granville
Tower property in downtown Chapel Hill. Cousins Properties Incorporated, a developer that
specializes in mixed use projects, is partnering with the Foundation to
redevelop the property. On Thursday, October 15, the University
and Cousins Properties will host two public meetings to discuss the
redevelopment.
The meetings will be
at 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in Suite 133-G of University Square, next to Ken’s
Quickie Mart. Although the first meeting is primarily for
tenants of University Square, you are invited to attend either
meeting. The same material will be
presented at both.
Parking is available on site. Chapel
Hill Transit service is available via most routes.
Cousins Properties recently
selected Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston to help plan and design the
project. At the meeting, the development teams from Cousins and
Elkus Manfredi will share their process and initial analysis of the property and
ask for your input on the redevelopment. Public input will guide the architects
as they develop a concept plan to be submitted to the Town next spring.
Date:
Thursday, October 15, 2009 - 11:30am to 1:00pm
Location:
133-G University Square (next to Ken's Quickie Mart)
UPDATE: UNC is buying University Square and Granville Towers.
Anyone want to guess what this is about?
Representatives from UNC-Chapel Hill and the Town of Chapel Hill will
hold a joint news conference at 1 p.m. today to announce details about
a major real estate acquisition. The event will be held at the Chapel
Hill Town Hall.
The news will have "significant positive
implications" for the future of the downtown Chapel Hill business
district, UNC officials said this morning.
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