Joel Bulkley
UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts teased the off-campus location for the new basketball arena in a magazine interview, and InsideCarolina website last month reported UNC was eyeing the former Horace Williams Airport property (MLK Jr. Blvd. at Estes Drive) and Carolina North as the home for the new Dean Smith Center and entertainment district with bars, restaurants and a hotel.
The airport property is roughly 400 acres. The airport closed in 2018 after 80 years in operation and is part of the larger Carolina North tract with more than 1,000 acres and is a popular recreation forest area for runners, hikers, bikers and home to several university-related maintenance/construction agencies. Chapel Hill moved transit and city operations off the property some years ago.
The town of Chapel Hill says, “It’s our understanding the University hasn’t reached a decision on this. We’re looking forward to hearing more from our partners as they determine their next steps.”
Meanwhile, there are plenty of questions and few answers. A petition opposing this site and favoring an on-campus arena has more than 1,100 signatures.
The airport site is not within “safe walking distance from the campus” and is 1.2m north of Franklin St. Bus service for 3,000 students per game was part of a consultant’s report regarding a 16,000 seat arena.
The consultant also said more study of the utility infrastructure of the location is needed to “quantify costs and schedule.” A study of the soils where the arena would be built is certainly on the to-do list. No site map for the project or cost estimates have surfaced.
The consultant estimated the project would take six years including fundraising, approvals, construction.
