Development Partner for Chapel Hill Mixed-Use Development
Open State & local contract opportunity Posted
- Solicitation number
- RFQ2026TCM CNDP
- State
- North Carolina
- Responses due
Opportunity facts
- Jurisdictions
- Point of contact
-
- Troy C. Morse troy.morse@unc.edu (919) 962-3456
Opportunity details come from constructionbidsource.com. Updated .
About this opportunity
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is requesting qualifications for a Development Partner to lead the Mixed-Use District at Carolina North, a 240-acre campus expansion 1.6 miles north of the main campus, with qualification submissions due October 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET and an optional pre-submission meeting on September 16 and in-person site visit on September 22.
Respondents must be North Carolina registered vendors in good standing and comply with E-Verify requirements. The scope encompasses district-scale planning, infrastructure delivery, and long-term stewardship across a 30–50 acre mixed-use hub anchored by a minimum of 1,100 undergraduate housing beds, 1,000 graduate housing beds, affordable housing at 15% of market-rate units (65–80% AMI), workforce housing, UNC Health medical office space, and market-rate multifamily housing alongside retail, commercial, and hospitality uses. Required qualifications include demonstrated experience in large-scale mixed-use development, university partnerships, student and affordable housing delivery, brownfield remediation, and public-private partnerships.
The University retains fee ownership of all land under an anticipated 99-year ground lease; the Development Partner will have no purchase options or sale rights, and improvements revert to the State upon lease termination. The Development Partner must fund all development costs through private equity and debt with no recourse to the University and no pledge of State credit or University financial guarantee. Partnership will proceed in phases: an initial Pre-Development Agreement for master planning and feasibility analysis, followed by a Development Agreement establishing at-risk development responsibility.
The University has authorized $8 million for Advanced Planning (January 2026) and $35 million for early infrastructure works in FY 2026-2027 (July 2026). The University will shortlist qualified respondents by November 13, 2026, issue an RFP to selected teams by November 23, 2026, and select the preferred Development Partner following subsequent interviews and proposal evaluations. Submissions are limited to 40 pages and must be submitted electronically via the State's eVP Portal.
Opportunity text
A central component of Carolina North is the Mixed Use District, which is intended to serve as the social and community heart of the Project, and a vibrant gathering place for the University and Chapel Hill Carrboro communities. Whether its working directly with communities to overcome challenges or conducting impactful research in labs to find solutions to pressing issues, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is dedicated to serving the people of North Carolina. As a university built for the people, public service is at the core of Carolinas mission. Successful implementation will require a long-term Development Partner committed to collaboratively creating the physical spaces that enable Carolina to further its service to the state for the next 200+ years. Successful Development Partners should demonstrated experience in district-scale planning, infrastructure delivery, mixed-use development, collaborating with universities, housing (including student and affordable housing), placemaking, public realm activation, and long-term environmental stewardship. UNC-Chapel Hill is seeking a Development Partner whose qualifications, prior work, and approach align with the Universitys mission and priorities for Carolina North. The ideal Development Partner will have experience delivering high-quality, financially successful, mixed use environments that are active throughout the day, evening, week, and weekend. They should understand the unique character of the site, including its relationship to the University, surrounding neighborhoods, and the Carolina North Forest, and be capable of delivering development and programming at scale.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Development Partner for UNC Chapel Hill Development.pdf |
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