When the UNC Board of Trustees meets this week, one committee will hear about a proposal that could eventually lead the university and town to exchange parcels of property.

The arrangement is being explored as the town is also working toward building a municipal services center, which could house a new town police station, on university-owned property. The proposal calls for the university swapping the approximately 21-acre property where the municipal services center would be located for a smaller property downtown.

Materials for the trustees’ finance, infrastructure and audit committee show the university would receive the approximately one-acre parking lot at the corner of Rosemary and Columbia streets currently owned by the town in exchange for the land on Estes Drive.

The town and UNC have been in talks since January 2017 working to come to terms on a development agreement to allow for the construction of a municipal services center.

The two sides came to terms on a tentative lease agreement for the property in August 2017. The town has been working toward starting the process of building a new police station in recent years. The current police station is located on Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and has been the subject of additional environmental concern after it was discovered that it had been built on a coal ash deposit site. The town discovered the materials in 2013 and has been working under scrutiny from state environmental regulators to identify ways to move forward. Town officials estimate the coal ash deposit is from the 1960s or ‘70s.

An email from Chapel Hill town manager Roger Stancil said this land swap proposal came after the town had “discussed the potential for exploring whether there is a mutual interest and benefit to exchanging” the properties. Stancil wrote that the Town Council “expressed reservations and especially wanted any discussions to be consistent with Town adopted plans and interest.”

Stancil’s email said UNC’s committee meeting will focus on discussing “the merits of exploring whether the Town would consider a conversation about supporting the future of innovation and arts on their north campus and in Downtown Chapel Hill.”

The town manager added that the topic may come back before the council during a business meeting or work session for further exploration of the potential swap.

The finance, infrastructure and audit committee of the Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon with the full board meeting slated for Thursday morning.

Related Stories
‹
Chapel Hill Alerts Residents To Upcoming S. Columbia Road Closure
The Town of Chapel Hill announced that a section of S. Columbia St. will be closed as UNC conducts maintenance on its steam tunnel system.
Multiple UNC Football Players Facing Reckless Driving Charges
Several UNC football players are facing charges of reckless driving, speeding and other violations. An investigation by WRAL, originally published Monday afternoon, reported that “nearly 20 percent” of UNC’s 101-man roster has been cited for speeding since October of 2024. The investigation named three specific players: linebacker Khmori House, safety Gavin Gibson and cornerback Thaddeus […]
Parking, Parties and Team History: What to Know Ahead of Mexico vs. Türkiye Soccer in Chapel Hill
The men's national soccer teams of Mexico and Türkiye will meet in Chapel Hill Tuesday for a friendly. Here's what to know before you go.
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.
Honoring Chapel Hill's Black Builders: UNC Landmarks and the Local Faces Who Built Them
Maps are storytellers, but they can exclude certain narratives. Fowota Mortoo said that’s the case for Chapel Hill’s Black builders.
No More Coal? Chapel Hill Prepares for Hearing on UNC's Co-Gen Plant and Potential New Fuel Source
Chapel Hill Town Hall will host a hearing on Thursday to take comments on a potential alternative fuel source for UNC's cogeneration plant.
Photo Gallery: Chapel Hill Sees First Snow in Years
For a few hours over the weekend, the greater Chapel Hill community was in a winter wonderland. A winter storm blanketed Orange County and the surrounding area with a thin layer of snow on Friday. Overnight on Saturday, it was later packed down or rinse away by freezing rain, which its own layer of ice […]
UNC: Ridge Road Open to One Lane After Month-Long Closure, Still 2 Weeks From Normal Traffic
Ridge Road on UNC campus is allowing vehicles and pedestrians through once again. But normal traffic patterns are likely still weeks away.
Chapel Hill Police Investigate Pair of Overnight Armed Robberies Reported 8 Minutes Apart
A pair of armed robberies reportedly took place less than ten minutes from each other during the early morning hours of Saturday, according to Chapel Hill Police.
Chapel Hill Jeweler Contributes 'Blue Crown' Prop to Latest Season of Netflix's 'Outer Banks'
Chapel Hill jeweler William Travis Kukovich was hired to create the Blue Crown, a featured prop, for Netflix's new season of "Outer Banks."
›