Chapel Hill has questions about developers’ plan to turn ‘obsolete’ mall inside out
Town Council members were left with more questions than answers Wednesday night about how taller buildings and more shops, offices and residents would fit into the area around Chapel Hill’s longtime mall.
Owner Ram Realty Advisors wants to transform the 302,237-square-foot University Place from an “obsolete, dying, enclosed mall into an outward-facing, open-air town center,” said Ashley Saulpaugh, regional director of investments for the Carolinas.
The council’s first public hearing for the project started late in the night. No one from the public remained to speak about the project, although at least one person had signed up in advance.
The town also received new details about the project Tuesday that council members did not have time to review.
The public hearing will continue May 5, after the town’s Community Design Commission and Stormwater Utility Advisory Board weigh in. Both boards will meet April 27.
Mayor Pam Hemminger encouraged Saulpaugh to bring back more details, especially about how stormwater and flooding could be handled.
“I know that all of us are positive about wanting significant changes to this property because it needs them, but the biggest concern is not turning it into a multifamily complex,” Hemminger said. “We like the commercial balance and we want to see the good environmental pieces put into this as well and the walkability.”
Tall buildings, retail, offices, apartments
Ram Realty Advisors would continue turning storefronts to face the 1970s era mall’s exterior and later demolish part of the former Southern Season store anchoring the east wing.
Saulpaugh clarified that between 300 and 500 apartments are possible, plus 150 hotel rooms, 150,000 square feet of offices, and between 300,000 and 450,000 square feet of commercial space.
The 43-acre site, except for Harris Teeter and Chapel Hill Tire, would be split into five “pods” and redeveloped over several years. Detailed plans would be submitted before each phase.
▪ Buildings could be up to 45 feet tall along Estes Drive, and up to 90 feet tall on Fordham Boulevard and Willow Drive.
▪ About 15% of the apartments could be priced for 30 years at a rate that’s affordable to people earning up to 80% of the area median income. That’s someone earning up to $50,900 a year or a family of four earning up to $72,700 a year.
Apartments restricted to tenants age 55 and up would lease for a market rate.
Modified permit, exceptions
The council is being asked to modify the mall’s existing special-use permit. That includes negotiating conditions under which the developer could complete the project, including traffic, stormwater and building height requirements.
A draft design guideline submitted to the town gives the public a clearer picture of how buildings, streetscapes and other spaces would look, but allows the property owner to stay flexible with market changes.
Ram Realty wants several exceptions to town rules, including taller buildings near the street, fewer trees and parking than required, and permission to redevelop in a floodplain and the town’s Resource Conservation District, which cover most of the site.
Council member Jessica Anderson pressed Wednesday for more details, especially about how taller buildings would look on Willow Drive and what specifically the council would be approving.
“I’m having a hard time getting a picture of what this is actually going to look like, or what parts are definitive vs. what parts are in flux or could be changed after approval,” she said.
It’s hard to be more specific because of the project’s complexity and the number of tenants and leases involved, Saulpaugh said.
“We had to pivot a number of times (last year), not just because of COVID, but Southern Season controlled about nine acres of the Fordham side, and overnight they disappeared and it completely changed what we were doing with the site,” Saulpaugh said. “We started this process 18 months ago now. If we were to have to restart this every time, nothing would ever get built there.”
Flooding, stormwater, traffic
The three biggest concerns are traffic, flooding and stormwater, all of which could have a significant effect on surrounding homes and businesses, but also those downstream. Bolin Creek runs between Estes Drive and the Camelot Village complex across the street.
New construction would have to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency rules and the town’s flood damage prevention ordinance. The town would require studies that show building plans won’t add to the flooding risk.
The redevelopment, by 2028, also is expected to add 2,726 more trips on surrounding roads during the morning commute. Over 8,000 more cars could be added to those roads in the evening, it said.
The developer would work with the N.C. Department of Transportation to plan improvements like more turn lanes at key intersections and allowing only right-in, right-out turns at some driveways.
Multi-use paths could be built along Estes Drive and Fordham Boulevard for pedestrians and cyclists. Sidewalks and bike lanes are planned for Willow Drive, and additional transportation connections are planned throughout the mall site.
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This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 10:06 AM.
