Bob Stipe, a revered professor of planning and design professor at NC School of Design and professor of Law at UNC’s Institute of Government, would often take his classes for a walk down Franklin Street. He would ask students to identify elements what made the street appealing.
What would he think of the changes underway in our Downtown – the wet lab that will loom fortress-like above the historic post office, and of the massive parking deck that will dominate East Rosemary Street? Bob Stipe has been widely regarded as a main founder of the modern historic preservation movement in North Carolina. Are we losing our history?
UNC Vice Chancellor Gordon Merklein has said that UNC will strive to retain the character of the 100 block of Franklin when the UNC Admissions Office moves in. The well proportioned grace of Franklin Street that Fred Stipe admired can be preserved if the replacement buildings are thoughtfully integrated into their surroundings. Latest plans preserve the Carolina Coffee Shop. Here is the entire article that appeared in the May Chapel Hill Matters newsletter.
Meanwhile, a block north, Clay Grubb is proposing a 7-story “straight up” apartment building (pictured above) to replace the former Orange Savings and Loan red brick bank building. The existing bank building has symbolized the 2 – 3 story Williamsburg architecture that defined Chapel Hill’s image historically
This proposed new building goes straight up and the designer has made no effort to fit the ‘new’ with the ‘old’, nor does he transition the design to the adjoining residential area. If approved, the historic Town Hall on the opposite corner, on the National Register of Historic Places and planned for a museum, will be dwarfed by its new companion.
The Town Council considered the project again on May 18th and gave a number of specific comments for improving Grubb proposed design including the following points The Town Council wants to see a signature building that fits into Chapel Hill. They asked for the following:
- More street activation with commercial and retail uses in the building
- Wider sidewalks
- Scale size to surroundings and downtown Chapel Hill
- Commitment to creating inviting public spaces
- Improved affordable housing unit terms