To reflect on the year, Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted and defined our community’s experience in 2023. These stories and topics affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our region.
Development is often the talk of the town — both positive and negative — in our community. 2023 was a year where several major projects aligned with each other to create a sense of change in different areas. For Chapel Hill, the stretch from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Fordham Boulevard saw major upheaval. Both the ongoing Estes Drive Connectivity Project and renewed redevelopment at University Place led to significant changes in looks, and (at times) traffic patterns. Meanwhile, the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro each saw their own long-term projects progress in their downtowns — as the East Rosemary Street parking deck and the 203 Project continued into their second calendar years.
University Place
From purely a visual standpoint, University Place mall in Chapel Hill saw the biggest changes from the start of 2023 to its end. The property, located at 201 South Estes Drive, laid the groundwork for its future apartment complex and new construction in 2022, including vacating most of the interior in preparation. But March 2023 marked a new level of action — and community interest — in the extensive project when the mall began its demolition of the Southern Season wing of the existing building. The store operated at University Place for years and its demolition led to several memories and stories being shared, along with Ram Realty sharing its latest vision for the mall property. On the land where Southern Season, the eastern-most part of the existing building, and parking sat before, the ownership group plans to build new retail storefronts around a village green and a parking deck near Fordham Boulevard.
Part of the changes in early 2023 were parking additions and redesigns on the property along South Estes Drive. While the measures opened up more spaces, the lack of clear painting led to a snafu in the summer as people visited the movie theater and restaurants. Several people saw their vehicles towed before the mall painted new ‘No Parking’ messaging along the fire lanes and curbs.
Meanwhile, more of the 900 Willow apartment complex came out of the ground and by the end of the year, its structure and exterior was mostly finished. The Fifth Thirds bank branch on the corner of the mall property also officially opened in December, while Cyclebar opened in a recently-added storefront in May.
According to Ram Realty representatives in 2022, the changes to the existing mall building were projected to be finished in 2024, while the entire redevelopment of the property is expected to take around three more years.
The 900 Willow apartment complex took shape in 2023 after breaking ground in late 2022. The project will be the first residential offerings of University Place mall. This photo shows its progress as of December 30, 2023.
As of December 30, some early structures are being constructed on the land where Southern Season used to stand as part of University Place. New storefronts will eventually line the side of the building where demolition stopped.
Estes Drive
After seeing work begin in March 2022 and largely using it as a one-way road since, many Chapel Hill residents are counting the days until South Estes Drive fully reopens to travelers — especially since the estimated end to the project was winter 2023. Once it does, the road will look transformed with wider sidewalks, raised bike lanes, and upgraded crosswalks.
Much of Chapel Hill’s work in 2023 on the Estes Drive Connectivity Project has been installing those elements on the north side of the road, with a shift in lanes in July to begin work on the south side. The project suffered delays throughout the calendar year, which the town largely contributed to different elements beyond the transportation upgrades coming to Estes Drive. Alongside those changes, contractors have done water and gas line relocation on the sides of the street, which required state involvement for final tests and approval — and which contributed to the length of the project. In Chapel Hill’s December 18 update, however, the local government said it was completing the final waterline tie-ins and removing the old waterline the following week.
During its wait for state testing on the waterline, the town government turned its attention to Estes Drive’s intersection with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where the multi-use paths will reach and new turn lanes for vehicles are being added. That work can be seen in this update shared by Chapel Hill in October:
The latest estimated time of completion for the Estes Drive Connectivity Project is now spring 2024, according to the town.
Unrelated to the town’s work, the corner of MLK Boulevard and Estes Drive has seen additional activity with the construction of the Aura Chapel Hill mixed-use development overseen by the Trinsic Residential Group. Structures came out of the ground in mid-2023 for the buildings parallel with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Construction at the Aura Chapel Hill development along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, taken October 24, 2023.
Rosemary Street Parking Deck
Chapel Hill’s ongoing Rosemary Street parking deck — which replaced one deck and will eventually replace another — also suffered delays in 2023. The town did not hit any bedrock while digging for the foundation and instead hit water at the ground level, which led to a re-engineering of its base. But the facility saw much upward growth in 2023, with a crane operating to construct the seven stories that will provide more parking downtown than the 125 East Rosemary Deck and the Wallace Parking Deck combined.
During the construction, a portion of East Rosemary Street by the construction site has often been closed. According to town officials, the road is expected to reopen to traffic in March after the crane is removed. The rest of the deck is also expected to open sometime in 2024.
The new Rosemary Street Parking Deck’s construction, as of November 27. 2023. This photo was taken from the Wallace Parking Deck at 150 East Rosemary Street.
A concept design for the 125 East Rosemary Street Parking Deck, as presented to the Chapel Hill Town Council on May 13, 2020. The design is depicting the parking deck as seen from Columbia Street. (Photo via Perkins + Will)
The 203 Project
Carrboro’s 203 Project — which is the future site of a southern branch for the Orange County Public Library, town offices, community spaces, and a parking deck — has faced far fewer delays. After breaking ground in May 2022, the building at 203 Greensboro Street began to take shape in 2023.
The parking deck is largely built, while interior construction on the building was started in the late summer. The Town of Carrboro provided regular monthly updates through August and provided video updates on its YouTube channel each month through May — but all indications are the 203 Project is still set to be complete by summer 2024.
The 203 Project also saw continued construction in 2023, as seen here from Greensboro Street on December 30.
The 203 Project, in its complete schematic design circa 2021, as viewed from South Greensboro Street. (Photo via Perkins + Will.)
Editor’s Note: The Trinsic Residential Group is a regular advertiser with the Chapel Hill Media Group. The business did not pay for or have any affiliation with the contents of this news article.
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I will be surprised if the Estes construction is completed before the dawn of 2025.