The University Place mall in Chapel Hill is already undergoing several changes, but its biggest is set to begin next week.

A ceremony for the start of demolition for the empty Southern Season store and east end of the building will be held for the mall’s community on Monday, March 6. It will mark the latest step in several redevelopment stages for the property, as the demolition will create space to begin building new store fronts, office space, a hotel and a parking deck.

Ahead of the eastern side of University Place being fenced off for the demolition, we captured some final looks of the Southern Season space ahead of its redevelopment.

Click to slide through the photos below.

A demolition vehicle sits alongside the empty Southern Season box at University Place.
A closer look at one of the demolition tools expected to be used on part of the University Place building.
The doors to Southern Season have been boarded up for months, with the gourment food store having closed in January 2020.
A glimpse inside what once was the entrance to Southern Season.
Before installing a fence around the demolition area, construction workers taped it off to traffic. A lane running parallel to Fordham Boulevard will be kept open for several weeks to allow access to the Circle K gas station from the mall property.
To prevent thru traffic to the eastern side of the mall, fencing was installed beginning near the former City Kitchen space.
Drivers will see several signs warning them of where they cannot drive during the demolition process.

Meanwhile, University Place visitors and tenants have already seen several other redevelopment projects — construction on two new banks, an apartment building community, and parking updates — start in recent months.

A photo from February 23 of the initial levels of 900 Willow’s parking deck being installed.
Crews began by building the stairwell and elevator areas to the eventual parking deck and apartment community.
As of March 3, more elements are taking shape on the structure.
Concrete is delivered to pour new traffic islands around updating parking spaces at University Place.
The western side of the mall now features more head-in parking spaces along South Estes Drive, which mall ownership says creates more space and a new traffic flow.
The site of a former Wells Fargo location is now leveled as construction on a new Fifth Third Bank branch continues.
Cyclebar aims to be one of the newest businesses of University Place, and is undergoing several renovations indoors to create a workout and spin class space.

As a result of the upcoming demolition and changes to the mall layout, several businesses with exclusively interior entrances have relocated. Wentworth & Sloan jewelers and Mayo’s Metropolis clothing store left their spaces near a newly-built interior wall meant to protect visitors from the demolition. Another business, though, has announced its departure — FRANK Gallery is leaving University Place at the end of March to 370 East Main Street in Carrboro.

There are only a few businesses within University Place that don’t have exterior entrances, which is one of the visions Ram Realty holds for the redeveloped mall. As a result, the inside is largely empty with the exception of a handful of local businesses.
FRANK Gallery announced its plans to move in February, becoming the latest business to announce a relocation or closure.
Wentworth & Sloan and Mayo’s Metropolis’ former place in the mall now sit empty beside a wall separate the end preparing to be demolish from where patrons can still visit.

 

Editor’s Note: Chapel Hill Media Group is a tenant of University Place, having first moved there in 2016.

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