University Place: Original 1970s mall getting dramatic transformation in Chapel Hill

Significant changes are coming to University Place, a longtime mall that dates back to 1973 in Chapel Hill. The Ram Realty project will bring new life to the first enclosed mall, including recent developments of retail, restaurants, offices, living space and hotel rooms, as a part of its University Place project.

Posted 10:34 p.m. Mar 6, 2023 — Updated 8:41 p.m. Mar 7, 2023

Monica Casey

, WRAL Durham reporter

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Significant changes are coming to University Place, a longtime mall that dates back to 1973 in Chapel Hill. The Ram Realty project will bring new life to the first enclosed mall, including recent developments of retail, restaurants, offices, living space and hotel rooms, as a part of its University Place project.

"This is very exciting for Chapel Hill,' said Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger. "It's going to be the wave of the future for people to be able to access what they need and where they want to go to gather without having to get in a car."

Hemminger says this project focuses on combating climate change, on walkability and bike access to the site, and a decrease in the impermeable surface there.

"We also talked about affordable commercial rental space, especially for our start-up companies,” Hemminger said. “They were very eager - Ram was very eager to interact with that and has put that all together in the same building footprint over there.”

Ram Realty Vice President of Development Jeff Kurtz says the outdoor art and event space will change the dynamic on South Estes Street.

"We will create a new main street for Chapel Hill that will be activated with the retail spaces along it, two new jewel boxes in place for music, entertainment, games, and activity," Kurtz said.

Ram Realty has agreed to invest $4.5 million in community improvements, including new multi-use pedestrian and bike paths and bike lanes. The project will also increase connectivity in Chapel Hill, and demolishing the former Southern Season store will be a fresh start in a busy area.

"We've been doing an everywhere-to-everywhere Greenways master plan, and we have some side paths and Greenways that kind of come to this area," Hemminger said.

Hemminger shared how one of the goals of this central hub is to get people off the roads.

"It'll have environmentally friendly buildings, we'll be tearing up some of the impervious surfaces [and] we'll be putting in some tree canopy,” Hemminger said.

The project will also address stormwater issues. The development includes: