Ramshead Construction to Begin in Summer

Work on the Ramshead Center, which will be built between Kenan Field House and the George Watts Hill Alumni Center, is set to begin this summer.

The complex will include a 700-space parking deck, a student dining facility with seven eateries, a bookstore, an express grocery store and pedestrian bridges connecting Stadium and Manning drives.

Officials have said the project, when completed, will produce 400 more visitor parking spaces on Mid Campus.

The Ramshead Center is one project approved by the Chapel Hill Town Council as part of the Development Plan, an eight-year plan that allows for the campus to initiate expansion.

Project Manager Masaya Konishi said the plan will be divided into three phases, all of which are expected to be completed by August 2004.

The first phase, scheduled to begin in July, will consist of major site utility work. Additional utility work, specifically on the water and drainage systems, will begin in September during the second phase.

In February 2003, the project's final phase will be launched when physical construction begins. Konishi said the estimated cost of the entire Ramshead project will be $64 million.

Despite the magnitude of the project, Konishi said the University will try to minimize disruption to students. He said Ridge Road and most pedestrian walkways in the area will remain open throughout the project.

Konishi also said project officials will be sensitive to noise issues in residential areas. "We'll certainly look after intrusive noise for students during nighttime and exam periods," he said.

As a result of work on the Ramshead Center, the Ramshead Lot will be demolished and Ehringhaus Field will be converted to a temporary parking lot.

Konishi said about two-thirds of the Ramshead Lot will be available for parking until the UNC football season ends in the late fall. At that time, he said the lot will be closed permanently.

Parking registration, which began Monday, includes distribution of spaces for the Ramshead Lot, but those spaces will only be valid until December.

Anna Wu, project director for facilities planning, said parking will be available at Ehringhaus Field before construction begins at Ramshead Lot.

Although the field temporarily will not be usable for recreation purposes, she said Carmichael Field No. 3, which now serves as a construction staging area, will be restored as a playing field to accommodate students' needs. Following the completion of the Ramshead Center parking deck in 2004, Ehringhaus Field will be restored to its original state, Wu said.

Despite the changes that will result from Ramshead construction, Wu stressed the temporary nature of the modifications.

She said some parking would be lost as a result of the construction, but the completion of the parking deck ultimately will provide more campus parking.

"It's not a one-to-one replacement for parking, but it's only a temporary loss."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.