Jump to content

UNC-CH Carolina North Campus


orulz

Recommended Posts

This idea is simply horrible. I'd much rather see them buy out all property from the hospital down to 54 bypass and relocate those people (mostly student renters, to be honest), and make a new urbanist utopia out of the Horace Williams airport. The campus needs to stay unified. It will be insanity with satellite offices for departments, etc. Just wait until they want to put something like the journalism school way out there. UNC's chief asset is their solid core campus, and they are losing focus by building Carolina North.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 88
  • Created
  • Last Reply

This idea is simply horrible. I'd much rather see them buy out all property from the hospital down to 54 bypass and relocate those people (mostly student renters, to be honest), and make a new urbanist utopia out of the Horace Williams airport. The campus needs to stay unified. It will be insanity with satellite offices for departments, etc. Just wait until they want to put something like the journalism school way out there. UNC's chief asset is their solid core campus, and they are losing focus by building Carolina North.

Do they have to move a department out to Carolina North to make it succesful? I think State did it to convince more companies to locate at Centennial instead of in the park.

What is the research focus going to be? The main question is can they attract corporate tenants. I don't think it would be a problem to attract students, residents, etc. A transit connection would be key. And don't forget about the internet!!!... Collaboration and video conferencing tools are getting better everyday. These tools would provide a virtual connection between say a research department and professors in the main on-campus department building.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I idea is not to move departments out there but make it into an incubator for companies spun off from UNC research (ie Micelle Technologies which created Hangers Cleaners). It will also be used to consolidate the UNC-spnsored think tanks/institutes scattered all over town. In related news, the med center is beginning to developing its master plan which will create a movement of construction down Mason Farm Road where Odum Village used to be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I idea is not to move departments out there but make it into an incubator for companies spun off from UNC research (ie Micelle Technologies which created Hangers Cleaners). It will also be used to consolidate the UNC-spnsored think tanks/institutes scattered all over town. In related news, the med center is beginning to developing its master plan which will create a movement of construction down Mason Farm Road where Odum Village used to be.

It was my understanding that some academic departments (mainly graduate research) would relocate to Carolina North. I could be wrong about this. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if down the line the Business School and Law School relocate there. This would fit in with the technology transfer aspect of the new campus.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I idea is not to move departments out there but make it into an incubator for companies spun off from UNC research (ie Micelle Technologies which created Hangers Cleaners). It will also be used to consolidate the UNC-spnsored think tanks/institutes scattered all over town. In related news, the med center is beginning to developing its master plan which will create a movement of construction down Mason Farm Road where Odum Village used to be.

I strongly believe that ultimately we'll have professors spending 3 days a week out there at their "lab" and it will be next to impossible to ever reach them for office hours. The primary purpose of a university is to educate its students. The more the campus is fragmented, the more barriers there are to educate easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think there should definitely be some sort of rail transit planned to connect the two campuses. Buses up and down airport/MLK won't cut it for 8M sf of new development plus whatever else develops in CH-Car in the next 25-50 years. I do believe there is a rail corridor in that area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I strongly believe that ultimately we'll have professors spending 3 days a week out there at their "lab" and it will be next to impossible to ever reach them for office hours. The primary purpose of a university is to educate its students. The more the campus is fragmented, the more barriers there are to educate easily.

Most high level researchers rarely interact with undergrads. I don't think thats an issue. Most likely there will not be a mass of labs out at Carolina North anyway as there is massive expansion of the physical sciences complex and biomed complex going on right now on the main campus.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I've attended several of the Carolina North meeting out of curiosity. I must say again...I usually side with the town on town gown issues, but I have never been more disappointed with the CH Town Council than over this issue. In my opinion they are grand standing and unwilling to work with the University. They come to the meetings with an agenda and do not allow progress to be made. Its too bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suspect the reason for this is that the current master plan (or the closest thing they have to one) on the books for Carolina North is little more than Centennial Campus meets New Urbanism. At full build-out, it will function reasonably well as an isolated unit, but it doesn't integrate well with much of anything else. The plan calls for something like 17,000 parking spaces, and I believe that (like Centennial Campus) the fixed-guideway transit line connecting it with main campus is programmed for some nebulous "future phase" that may or may not actually happen.

I think the town wants to see those plans change to involve less parking, and to better integrate CN with the town and main campus, and to provide excellent transit at the outset before moving forwards. Unlike Raleign and NCSU with Centennial Campus, the town won't let the university say "We'll have a nice urban environment up there when it's all built in 50 years, but in the meantime let's just have everyone drive there and park." A campus designed to accommodate a large amount of cars can't easily be modified to change that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suspect the reason for this is that the current master plan (or the closest thing they have to one) on the books for Carolina North is little more than Centennial Campus meets New Urbanism. At full build-out, it will function reasonably well as an isolated unit, but it doesn't integrate well with much of anything else. The plan calls for something like 17,000 parking spaces, and I believe that (like Centennial Campus) the fixed-guideway transit line connecting it with main campus is programmed for some nebulous "future phase" that may or may not actually happen.

I think the town wants to see those plans change to involve less parking, and to better integrate CN with the town and main campus, and to provide excellent transit at the outset before moving forwards. Unlike Raleign and NCSU with Centennial Campus, the town won't let the university say "We'll have a nice urban environment up there when it's all built in 50 years, but in the meantime let's just have everyone drive there and park." A campus designed to accommodate a large amount of cars can't easily be modified to change that.

Agreed. Its my impression, however, that UNC is willing to discuss these issues and come to some sort of an agreement, but CH is not willing to compromise or look at alternatives. In fact, several of the CH Town Council members on the committee have said that the report CH commissioned regarding Carolina North is official town policy and not up for debate or compromise. I understand that there is a history of a lack of trust but the process is not moving forward. UNC hasn't even been able to discuss differences with CH.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The State does have the option of strongarming CH and I think most likely this will happen. The bottom line is that CH doesn't want this built and is using filibuster-like techniques which is going to do them in. As a resident of CH, I have to say this is the most ineffectual council I have ever seen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Panel says Carolina North needs to plan for transit--not cars.

Here's the location just about 2 miles north of DT Chapel Hill. My first thoughts would be to connect the campus with a very long term rail option along the old rail corridor that runs behind that physical plant, and back to near the central campus area. It makes just too much sense to try to tie this in with the TTA phase II transit alignment. They could implement an express bus from Columbia/Franklin in the meantime until the density builds up on the campus in 20-30 years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That rail line still services the CoGeneration plant. So they would have to build 2 new tracks, probably.

Not necessarily. A traditional passenger rail service could share freight tracks with the trains to the CoGen plant- there are only about 3 trains per week. You'd definitely need to upgrade the existing track, and maybe add some strategically located passing sidings, if you were going to do limited peak-hour service. For more frequency, yes, then you'd be talking a full upgrade of track 1 and a new second track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.