The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is moving closer to replacing the Dean Dome, home of its men's basketball team for nearly four decades.

The university could identify the positives and negatives of sites for a potential new men's and women's basketball arena by the end of the month.

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UNC is paying Kansas City-based Populous Architects – a firm that has worked on a host of famous sports venues in recent years –  more than $217,000 to design an athletic facility study and deliver the results by July 31.

Populous lists the Sphere (Las Vegas), Truist Park (Atlanta Braves), Citi Field (New York Mets), Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees), Target Field (Minnesota Twins) and Audi Field (D.C. United soccer) as well as convention centers in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Qatar among its projects.

The agreement between UNC and Populous is dated April 26. WRAL obtained the award letter and other bid information through a public records request.

Populous was one of nine firms to submit a bid. The documents are heavily redacted, including the "tasks" that UNC wants performed. Populous must furnish a final report and specifications electronically.

The firm is working with consultants Ayers Saint Gross, HR&A Advisors and Raleigh-based Kimley-Horn, which does engineering, planning and design consulting. Ayers Saint Gross works with many colleges. HR&A Advisors bills itself as an urban development consulting firm.

In a project brief, UNC said it wanted the consultant to provide site studies, a site plan and massing study, a parking, traffic and transportation study, a market study and a feasibility analysis, including cost and revenue implications for each site.

UNC planned to spent $150,000 to study university-owned on-campus and off-campus sites to house all the needs of both programs, according to a university project brief.

The Dean E. Smith Center, home to the men's basketball team, opened in 1986 at a cost of $34 million. Carmichael Arena, home of the women's basketball team, opened in 1965. It also is home to the school's volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling programs.

"In order to continue our championship success, we are investigating multiple options for the arena – including renovating the Smith Center and building new," the school's athletic department said in a statement. "As we continue our analysis in partnership with the University and Rams Club, we also will be engaging UNC audiences to gather feedback from fans, supporters and the Carolina community."

UNC, the athletic department and The Rams Club sent a lengthy survey to fans and other interested parties on June 10, saying they have "partnered to evaluate options for the future home of Carolina Basketball."