Six alternatives for the future of the Smith Center at UNC were proposed by a UNC committee. The idea is to have 16,000 seats for men’s basketball and provide an exciting modern day fan experience without building new roadways (or exceeding the National Debt.)
They include using the Bowles parking lot off Manning Drive beside the SC or Odum Village across from the hospital, Friday Center off NC 54 or Carolina North (former airport property) off MLK Boulevard to build a new building, renovate the Smith Center where it is, or replace it and rebuild.
The alternatives did not have individual cost figures or a timeline. Additional studies were promised, and a sense of urgency was noted in the report from the Physical Master Plan Working Group.
Each alternative brings its own set of challenges and obstacles like traffic, parking, replacement facilities and huge costs. The report already has become Topic A for angry homeowners in some Chapel Hill neighborhoods.
J.B.