UPDATE: University Place leadership allowed most businesses to reopen around 10:45 a.m. after a repair was made to the damaged gas line.

Restaurants in the mall, however, remained closed on Monday due to the leak and the safety of their staff.

A sign outside Hawkers’ door on Monday, May 15 alerting patrons about their closure due to the nearby gas leak.

A gas leak at University Place mall in Chapel Hill led to the building being evacuated and closed on Monday morning.

According to mall officials, one of the construction crews on the site working on a redevelopment project struck and damaged a line shortly before 10 a.m. Chapel Hill Fire trucks arrived on scene near the Willow Drive entrance to the mall — where work is being done to construct a new apartment complex.

Dominion Energy is responding to the leak, according to University Place leadership, and will work to repair the line. In the meantime, the main building and its businesses have been evacuated and closed to the public.

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