Odum Village is being fenced off in preparation for demolition scheduled to take place later this year. The demolition of 39 residential buildings is expected to begin fall 2017 and will be completed in phases through August 2018.
Surrounding roads and parking lots will remain open and accessible throughout the project. Once demolition, recycling and salvage efforts begin, pedestrians and drivers should remain alert to changes in traffic patterns and construction vehicles entering and exiting the work zones at access gates.
Odum Village was constructed in the early 1960s to provide apartment-style graduate student and family housing. It was not cost-effective to renovate the existing structures to meet current UNC System fire safety standards, and the buildings were closed to students following the 2015-2016 school year. Demolition was approved by the University Board of Trustees in January 2016 to allow for future campus development, including an addition to the existing Manning Steam Plant and the proposed Durham and Orange Counties’ Light Rail Project. Plans for the remainder of the property have not yet been determined.
For questions about this project, contact Joe Ockert, assistant director for Design Services, at joe.ockert@facilities.unc.edu.