A water main break at University Place mall in Chapel Hill led to some early and unexpected closures on Wednesday night.

The mall closed its interior doors more than one hour early and businesses shut their doors after water was shut down between 5 and 6 p.m. A spokesperson for the Orange Water and Sewer Authority confirmed to Chapelboro the disruption came after a construction contractor struck a water line. Management for University Place later said the water main break happened at the work site along Willow Drive — where new apartment buildings are in the early stages of construction.

 

A sign posted to the door of bartaco on Wednesday, January 18.

The water is expected to be shut off for several hours as repairs are conducted.

The incident happened on a day that also started unusually for mall patrons. As part of the ongoing renovation and construction of the property, some of the parking spaces along South Estes Drive were taped or fenced off on Wednesday morning. The move came after additional parking on that side of the mall was fenced off in October as preparation began to construct a new bank building and to shift a South Estes Drive entrance to the property further away from the intersection with Fordham Boulevard.

Ownership of the mall, the developer Ram Realty, previously disclosed that the contractors for the larger University Place redevelopment and those working on the 900 Willow apartment complex were two different companies.

Editor’s Note: Chapel Hill Media Group is a tenant of University Place, having first moved there in 2016.

 

Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.

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