Demolition is underway at the newly-named Carolina Square on Franklin Street.

Meg McGurk, Executive Director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Parternship, says big changes are coming.

“Those three buildings in the front that are closest to Franklin Street will come down, and then construction of the new buildings will begin.”

For decades the downtown strip mall just west of Colombia Street was known as University Square, then later called 123 West Franklin.

The new Carolina Square will include 246 apartments, 159,000 square feet of office space and 42,000 square feet of retail as well as one acre of green space and a parking deck with 880 spaces.

McGurk says it’s the largest downtown redevelopment in Chapel Hill’s history.

“It’s going to be a dramatic change for our downtown, a vast improvement and a better use for that site, bringing a lot of new businesses and people living and working downtown. So it’s really exciting.”

The project will consist of two six-story buildings and one ten-story building. Construction will start once the trio of buildings currently on the site is torn down.

Demolition will last through October.

Despite the complexity involved in tearing down what’s already standing, McGurk says you’re not likely to see any large scale explosions on Franklin Street anytime soon.

“I have begged to be able to blow up those buildings, but it will not be a massive explosion, even though I think that would be fun to see. It will be a typical deconstruction with machinery.”

The property is owned by Chapel Hill Foundation Real Estate Holdings, which is the real estate arm for UNC.

Developer Northwood Ravin will manage the residential side, while Cousins Properties will oversee commercial leasing.

To date, UNC has already committed to leasing 62,000 square feet to accommodate the Carolina Population Center and the School of Public Health’s Biostatistics and Epidemiology groups.

There are no changes are planned for the student housing complex Granville Towers, which shares the 11-acre lot with Carolina Square.

The full project is slated for completion in summer of 2017.

 

Related Stories
‹
Police: UNC Student Victim of Carjacking in W. Franklin Street Parking Deck
Chapel Hill Police are investigating the carjacking of a UNC student that took place early Saturday morning. No injuries are reported.
A New Chapel Hill Bar Pays Homage to Historic UNC Facility and A Beloved Pet
Wednesday marks the opening of Max's Tin Can in Chapel Hill, a bar the owner says he wants to become a "neighborhood local" for downtown.
Here's What to Know Ahead of the Tar Heel 10 Miler on Saturday
The annual Tar Heel 10 Miler race is set for the morning of Saturday, April 20 through the UNC campus and downtown Chapel Hill. The race will draw hundreds of participants and lead to some disruption to normal weekend activities in the community. Below are details on what residents, racers, and others should know ahead […]
Chapel Hill Police Make Arrest Following Indecent Exposure Incident
The Chapel Hill Police Department arrested a man Wednesday afternoon for indecent exposure. A release from the Town of Chapel Hill said authorities charged Anthony Covington, 55, around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday for exposing himself in public. The town said Orange County and UNC 911 Communications received at least five calls from people on UNC’s […]
'The Goal Is To Change Behavior': Chapel Hill Condemns Saturday's Mass Gathering
After hundreds of students rushed Franklin Street following UNC's win over Duke, multiple Chapel Hill officials met with UNC leadership on Wednesday to discuss stronger measures for preventing violations of local and state ordinances.
The Man Behind Linda's Boarded-Up Windows
This story was written by Anne Tate, a student at UNC. It is presented as a feature on Chapelboro.com, a community contribution about one of our most storied local businesses and the people behind it. Longtime Linda’s Bar and Grill customer Lisa Reichle will never forget when owner Christopher Carini, 35, hurdled over the Linda’s […]
'This Is the Ultimate Test of a Business': Franklin Street, UNC and COVID-19
In light of recent coronavirus outbreaks across campus and the community, UNC moved to a remote learning model on Wednesday. This move occurred just ten days after the university began classes for its fall semester and will continue indefinitely. With most of campus closed, and the majority of residence halls being emptied, the number of patrons […]
Flavor of the Week: Cha House
Unique Taiwanese flavors await at Cha House, a trendy tea house located on West Franklin Street. This cozy shop is the brainchild of owners Ya Huei Chiu, Ya Wen Adkisson and Andy Adkisson. The storefront opened at 318 West Franklin Street in April 2018 and since then, the two sisters and Ya Wen Adkisson’s husband […]
One Week: Exploring Our 'Hometowns'
Exploring our ‘hometowns’ is an activity that has been continually present in my life thus far. As a 16-year-old, I have accumulated a sense of the culture of our hometown communities as well as what they have to offer; to enumerate: where to grab a bite to eat, fun activities, places to shop and must-see […]
UNC Dorm Art Studio Announced at Arts Everywhere Celebration
Interactive art installations such as spinning chairs and brightly painted pianos stretched from Franklin Street all the way to South Campus last Friday in celebration of UNC’s second Arts Everywhere Day, founded in 2016 by UNC Chancellor Carol Folt. “We’re here for a complete celebration of the arts and the creativity that it inspires in […]
›