After seven years of planning, the Southern Village neighborhood will get a new hotel.

Developers and elected officials leaned on golden shovels Thursday to break ground on the five-story Hyatt Place hotel. The facility will include 110 guest rooms as well as indoor and outdoor meeting space.

Though many were on hand to celebrate the occasion, the road to get to that point was at times rocky. When developer D.R. Bryan first suggested building a hotel in the heart of Southern Village back in late 2008, residents of the neighborhood responded with such vehement dismay that the proposal was tabled.

Fast forward five years and the concept of a hotel in the mixed-use village resurfaced, though this time at the edge of the development instead of at its center.

This change made all the difference, as those residents formerly opposed to the plan lined up before the town council to support it. It was unanimously approved in October, 2013, but negotiations over construction pricing delayed the start of the project.

Once the hotel opens in the summer of 2016, business owners on Market Street hope it will add a third retail anchor to the area to complement the Lumina Theater and Weaver Street Market.

Related Stories
‹
Hyatt Announces Opening Date for New Hotel in Chapel Hill
Hyatt will open a new hotel at Southern Village in Chapel Hill this spring according to a press release issued last week by the multinational corporation. The release claims that the 110-room Hyatt Place hotel will offer 30 new jobs to residents of Orange County and generate nearly $260,000 in annual property tax revenue. The […]
New Hotel Plan Draws Praise From Those Once Opposed
A plan to build a hotel in Southern Village met with a very different reception than it did just five years ago.
Town Leaders Talk Obey Creek, Glen Lennox...And Chatham Park
Several major developments are in the works in Chapel Hill. Here's what town leaders and residents are saying.
Town Council Wary Of East Franklin Hotel Plan
A plan for a new hotel on East Franklin Street met with opposition from residents and the Chapel Hill Town Council last week
Southern Village Residents Skeptical Of New Obey Creek Plan
Residents living near Obey Creek got a look at a new development plan on Wednesday, but many still think it’s too much.
Public To Weigh In On Southern Village Hotel Monday
Members of the public will have a chance to weigh in on a plan to build a hotel at Southern Village when the Chapel Hill Town Council meets Monday.
Hampton Inn Hotel Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, Opens in Pittsboro
The Chatham Park community in Pittsboro saw its latest business come online in recent days, as the Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton hotel officially opened to visitors. Located in its MOSAIC mixed-use development off U.S. 15-501 and beside its Guild apartment community, the Hampton Inn held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 14 to […]
Orange County Reports First Rabies Case of 2024, Citing Raccoon in Chapel Hill
Orange County has received its first report of a positive case of rabies in 2024: a raccoon near Southern Village in Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill: Extending Water and Sewer...And Celebrating Public Art!
Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger joins 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell for an interview on Thursday, September 21.
Chapel Hill's Bus Rapid Transit Progressing, But Facing Cost Increases
The North-South Bus Rapid Transit project will create bus routes, sidewalks, and bike paths for safer and more efficient travel in the area.
›