A new apartment complex may be coming to the Ephesus-Fordham District in Chapel Hill.

A proposal has been submitted to the Town of Chapel Hill that would bring 273 apartment units to Fordham Boulevard where the Days Inn hotel is currently located.

The development totaling nearly 295,000 square feet is being put forward by Ram Realty Advisors, which also owns the nearby shopping center at the corner of Elliot Road and Fordham Boulevard.

The site for the new construction combines a portion of vacant land at that Village Plaza South shopping center and the current Days Inn property, according to the documents filed with the town. The plans call for the Days Inn to be demolished to make way for two buildings. One six-story building would house resident amenities and a leasing office in addition to residential units. A five-story building would then house residents while the structure wrapped a parking garage. The plan calls for 360 proposed vehicle parking spaces and 20 bicycle parking spots.

The project would include “a mix of studios, one and two bedroom apartments along with several resident amenities including two courtyards overlooking Booker Creek, a club room and a fitness center.”

A “pocket park” would also be built overlooking Booker Creek.

The project has also been designed, according to the proposal, to accommodate the proposed widening of South Elliot Street and a future greenway along Booker Creek.

The proposal for the 3.9-acre site is going through the process for approval in the Ephesus-Fordham District. Approval for projects in the district must adhere to preset guidelines but do not require final approval from the Chapel Hill Town Council.

The proposal was submitted in late April. Town Manager Roger Stancil wrote in an e-mail to the council last Friday that, under the council’s direction, town staff were collaborating with the town’s stormwater consultant W.K. Dickson and the applicant to “create a stormwater facility that meets our strategy capacity needs, provides park and greenspace amenities for the district and facilitates the development of a successful project for the applicant.”

The town Community Design Commission could hear the proposal in late June and issue a Certificate of Appropriateness. Staff would then review the plans before Stancil could approve the permit.

You can get more information on the project at the town’s website.

Photo via Town of Chapel Hill