Built in the 1960’s, Odum Village is comprised of 36 apartment buildings that hold nearly 500 students on the southern end of UNC’s campus.
The UNC General Administration required that all residences halls have sprinkler systems installed by 2015, which Odum does not have. Odum Village was granted a one year extension but now the time has come where students can no longer live there.
Anna Wu, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Services, said the cost of the renovation did not add up.
“It just didn’t make financial sense for us to provide the utility infrastructure and the building infrastructure to upgrade to provide those fire sprinklers,” said Wu.
The demolition of Odum Village had been planned since 2001, according to Wu, for several different reasons.
“Because of a couple of things, one we intended to demolish those buildings to free up the development of open space, the development of future projects and the development of the light rail transit we knew that Odum was going to be impacted by those three,” said Wu.
Wu discussed the demolition with the Chapel Hill Town Council at their meeting on March 7.
Wu told the council that there is enough vacancy in other residence halls to accommodate Odum Village’s demolition and they would encourage students to stay on campus. But Council Member Maria Palmer said that cost was an issue for students to continue to live on campus.
“That’s a lot of money for students who are struggling with the tuition and the economic situation,” Palmer said. “Kids are going in debt. Parents are going in debt. When your child tells you ‘I can save $200 a month by moving off campus’ how many of us are going to say ‘you’re going to stay on campus’ when money is a concern?”
First year students are required to live on campus at UNC but after that many move off campus. For the 2016- 2017 school year, a standard two person dorm room at UNC cost $3,136.
Odum Village historically housed student families but that population of students has since moved to Baity Hill Student Family Housing off Mason Farm Road.
“The campus is a mature campus but there are buildings that reach the end of their useful life,” said Wu.
About half a dozen Odum Village apartments buildings have already been removed in the last few years to make room for new projects.
Several of the old apartment buildings will be repurposed into office space.
I would like to get the information plans and specs in order to give a bid on the demolition