After almost four years of waiting, residents of the historic Cameron-McCauley district may finally see improvements on a tract of land the University has used during the construction of a steam tunnel.
Last week, Linda Convissor, UNC’s director of local relations, sent an email to residents saying officials would present alternative uses for the piece of land, which is located between McCauley Street and Cameron Avenue, at a meeting on April 19.
The piece of land was originally used as a pathway between the University and the Cameron Avenue and McCauley Street neighborhoods.
But neighbors say the land is now littered with giant concrete vents and unsightly shrubbery as construction of an updated steam tunnel — which channels steam from the UNC Cogeneration Facility to heat University buildings — draws to a close.
At the meeting, the design team will present the design options for the corridor, Convissor said in the email.
Bert Johnson, a resident with property adjacent to the land, said construction began in 2008 when the land was still lush and green.
“When the University came through, they used a scorched earth attitude and ripped out everything,” he said. “It has become something of an eyesore.”
Kurt Ribisl, president of the Westside Neighborhood Association and a professor at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, said most of the residents he has heard from want the land to be re-purposed into its original state – a clean, well-lit pathway to University buildings.
“Most of the residents I have heard from have wanted an accessible corridor, one that everyone feels safe walking on and one that looks nice,” he said.
