Chapel Hill Hearing Revised Plans for UNC Health Care Eastowne Redevelopment

The first in a renewed series of public meetings on a proposed redevelopment of a UNC Health Care property in Chapel Hill is set for Tuesday night.

UNC Health Care is proposing a redevelopment plan that would lead to a new 150,000-square-foot medical office building being built on university-owned land along 15-501 at the western intersection of Eastowne Drive near I-40.

Plans were initially submitted in January, before scaled-back plans were put forward in a concept plan in March. The Chapel Hill Town Council was then set to vote on whether to approve the project in June at its last meeting before the summer break. Instead, UNC Health Care CEO William Roper asked that the item be pushed until the fall.

Roper said the request came at the recommendation of Mayor Pam Hemminger.

Planning documents show that work has continued over the summer as UNC Health Care officials have attempted to address concerns from members of the Town Council, including building height and the impact of the development on traffic. The traffic concerns are exacerbated by other projects already approved or anticipated in the area, including the Wegmans grocery store, a station for the potential light rail line and possible redevelopment of the iconic building that used to be home to the offices of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

UNC Health Care officials have said that the redevelopment of the Eastowne property needs to begin because of space issues at the UNC Hospitals main campus. The redevelopment proposal would call for the demolition of four existing buildings at the Eastowne site.

Documents show that the health care system has agreed to complete a Master Planning process of the area before any other development projects could come forward on the property.

UNC Health Care’s Eastowne proposal is scheduled for a special planning commission meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday in Town Hall. An open house is scheduled for Wednesday night in the Chapel Hill Public Library, which will be followed by a Community Design Commission meeting.

The proposal is expected to be considered by the Town Council in the fall.

August 2018 UNC Health Care Eastowne proposal / Photo via Town of Chapel Hill

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