Panelists:

Lydia Lavelle, Carrboro Alderman and NCCU Professor of "Sexual Identity and the Law"

Ian Palmquist, Director, Equality NC

Yuri Yamamoto, NCSU Professor

Kudos to the UNC-CH Board of Trustees for rejecting a recent architectural plan for the inaugural building at Carolina North. It seems they felt the proposed design of the Innovation Center was not innovative enough to mark the entrance to the modern new campus which they plan to build in the northern heart of Chapel Hill. I was glad to see that the BOT has such high expectations for the building, but was a bit concerned about administrators' refusal to consider locating the building anywhere other than the grand entrance.

I still don't understand the logic behind UNC doing construction before completing the plan for the larger campus into which this building must fit. I really don't feel I can support any thing on that site until we see that it will be part of a commitment to use Carolina North to enhance Chapel Hill and not just UNC's bottom line.

The calendar is counting down the days remaining to register to attend the Inter-City Visit and Leadership Conference, at least in terms of being able to get the cheapest tickets and to be eligible for scholarship funds. Ann Arbor was chosen as this year's destination because of its perceived similarities to Chapel Hill, in both the populace and the problems they face. Are any OP'ers planning on attending this year? For those of you who went to Madison two years ago, do you feel like any real progress is made on these trips, or would community leaders be better off with a staycation?

Holden Thorp starts his new job tomorrow. I'm feeling very encouraged about his potential to establish a more collaborative relationship between the University and our local governments. I hope he will remember that neither can thrive without the other.

What advice do you have for him?

At present two bills related to University airport(s) are proposed in the N.C. General Assembly. One is Apodaca's S1962, which has been discussed at some length on OP, designed to prevent the University from building hangars for AHEC planes at RDU and keep HWA open until another airport is built.

The other, about which I'd heard somewhat less, is H2725, sponsored by Yongue, Insko, Glazier (Primary); Bordsen and Faison -- short title: "UNC Operating/Capital Funds/Airport Auth" -- giving UNC board of governors the power to create and maintain state-level airport authorities.

Per Linda Convissor's post: 

For OP readers: I just sent the following email inviting the community to the presentation of the preliminary results of the fiscal impact analysis. Hope you can attend:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I know many of you are interested in the University's development of Carolina North. As our planning has progressed, the community has expressed its interest in the fiscal impact of the Carolina North campus. At a joint meeting of the Orange County Commissioners, the Chapel Hill Town Council and the Carrboro Aldermen this Thursday evening, June 26 at 7:00 p.m., the consulting team doing the work, TischlerBise and The Chesapeake Group, will present their analysis and findings.

The meeting will be at the Orange County Southern Human Services Building on Homestead Road.

For OP readers: I just sent the following email inviting the community to the presentation of the preliminary results of the fiscal impact analysis. Hope you can attend:

UPDATE: UNC is buying University Square and Granville Towers.

Anyone want to guess what this is about?

Representatives from UNC-Chapel Hill and the Town of Chapel Hill will hold a joint news conference at 1 p.m. today to announce details about a major real estate acquisition. The event will be held at the Chapel Hill Town Hall.

The news will have "significant positive implications" for the future of the downtown Chapel Hill business district, UNC officials said this morning.

Graham Allison, in his classic, Essence of Decision, perfectly characterized the Horace Williams Airport situation when he wrote about governmental behavior: "No decision is made just once or for good." He also argued that "where you stand depends on where you sit."