At the Chapel Hill Town Council’s latest meeting, council members opened a public hearing regarding the University Place redevelopment.
According to the applicant, Ram Reality Advisors, who bought the 43-acre site back in 2018, the redevelopment will “transform University Place into a walkable town center and introduce new uses to complement the existing commercial uses.”
Ram Realty is currently asking the town to modify the mall’s Special Use Permit to allow buildings up to 90 feet tall on part of the University Place site on South Estes Drive, and up to 75 feet tall in another part.
Buildings up to seven stories tall could be built along Fordham Boulevard and Willow Drive under a plan submitted to the town. The buildings along Estes Drive, where flooding remains a serious concern, could be up to three stories. (Photo via Ram Realty)
Ashley Saulpaugh of Ram Reality Advisors gave a presentation to council members detailing the proposed redevelopment plans and outlining the need for a modified special use permit.
“Our proposal is to de-mall the property – and really what that is, is converting obsolete, dying, enclosed mall into an outward-facing, open-air town center,” Saulpaugh said.
Saulpaugh said indoor malls like University Place are “dying” because they do not focus enough on the pedestrian experience.
“That’s because they’re vehicular focused with really no focus on the pedestrian,” Saulpaugh said. “They are completely interior focused with tons of blank walls and service courts on the exterior and they pay little attention to the surrounding environment just being large, asphalt parking lots surrounding the building.”
New development plans call for up to 300 apartments, 150 hotel rooms, 150,000 square feet of office space and 300,000 to 450,000 square feet of commercial space. The applicant has also proposed to increase tree canopy by 50 percent – adding 250 trees to the development site.
Concept art for University Place mall following Phase 1 renovations. (Photo via University Place/Ram Realty)
The redevelopment would be executed in three phases, with Phase 1 renovating existing commercial space and adding residential units, Phase 2 adding office space and Phase 3 adding hotel space.
In Phase 1, which Saulpaugh said they are hoping to start as soon as possible, developers plan to demolish 105,000 feet of the existing, interior mall space – including the now-vacant Southern Season space.
“By demoing some of that existing, interior mall space, that’s going to allow us to maximize what would otherwise likely be dead space in the middle of the mall,” Saulpaugh said. “So, by shrinking that building some, it will hopefully allow us to maximize that interior building for exterior-facing space. So, we’re demoing that 105,000 feet and building back about 50,000 feet, so this first phase will actually be a net-reduction of retail square footage.”
The mall and tenants with long-term leases, such as Harris Teeter and Chapel Hill Tire, are not facing redevelopment yet. However, Ram Realty will continue turning interior-facing storefronts inside out until there is no interior mall space left, company officials said.
As the town considers the proposal ahead of its next public hearing, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said she encourages residents to look at the applicant’s presentation to better understand how turning the mall “inside out” will look.
“It’s all about creating that balance,” Hemminger said. “We need that commercial balance to balance and bring jobs here, to diversify our tax base, to bring people to our community to shop and spend their money and to work here. We want people to live and work here and when you bring in commercial [space] it really helps build a better community. We can spend money on things we care about like affordable housing and climate action.”
The town’s Housing, Transportation and Connectivity, and Environmental Stewardship advisory boards have all recommended approving the redevelopment plan with a few conditions – such as exploring opportunities for additional green spaces, utilizing solar energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and considering additional bus stops within the development.
The town’s Community Design Commission elected to not hear the project proposal during its March 23 meeting and has since set its new review for April 27.
Following the Community Design Commission’s review, the Chapel Hill Town Council is expected to continue its public hearing on May 5.
Lead photo via Ram Realty/ Ashley Saulpaugh.
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