At its meeting Monday night, the Town of Chapel Hill’s Community Design Commission reviewed new concept plans for more apartments downtown.
The proposed Link Apartments would add approximately 140 new units at the northeastern corner of East Rosemary and North Columbia streets. The proposed seven-story apartment complex is Grubb Properties’ latest venture in its ongoing plans to redevelop part of downtown Chapel Hill.
The apartments would replace a two-story PNC bank building and a parking lot at 101 E. Rosemary Street. New construction could include approximately 74,000 square feet of residential apartment space with a fitness center, bike center, clubhouse and leasing office all located around a community green space on the building’s ground floor.
Concept plans for the proposed Link Apartments (photo via Grubb Properties)
While apartments can be built on the corner street, current town zoning limits new buildings to four stories. The Chapel Hill Town Council would be asked to approve a conditional zoning permit to allow the taller building if a formal application is submitted.
The 0.64-acre site under consideration is located next to the “CVS” parking deck, which the town plans to demolish this July and replace with a new 1,100-space parking deck. The apartment plan does not include any parking, relying instead on spaces that Grubb Properties plans to rent in the town’s new East Rosemary Street parking deck. The building would also be on the town’s future North-South bus-rapid transit route.
The project does not currently meet the thresholds for town council review based on the land area, floor area, and the number of dwelling units proposed.
For more information on what was discussed at the Community Design Commission’s meeting, click here.
