Dozens of Chapel Hill residents met with developers and architects Thursday night to talk about the future redevelopment of University Square on West Franklin Street.

The 12-acre site is home to the University Square shopping center and Granville Towers student housing.

Chapel Hill Foundation Real Estate Holdings, a not-for-profit corporation founded by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Foundation to help with real estate projects for the University and its affiliated organizations, is partnering with Cousins Properties Incorporated to redevelop University Square.

The developer envisions some combination of student housing, condos, rental apartments, shops, restaurants, offices, civic space, and parking.

At the hearing Thursday afternoon, dozens of people from the community shared their ideas.

Student Heather Schroeder proposes a grocery store.

"There's nowhere that you can buy milk between here and school. I have to spend all my money in Carrboro because they don't have basic services here," she said.

"I would like to see greenways. I would like to see storefronts closer to the street, off street parking," said Beverly Tucker, who works in the area.

Others suggested making the area more friendly to walkers and children.

The developers don't have specific plans for University Square yet. But they say they hope to make it a place that will benefit the university and downtown Chapel Hill. And they hope the development will attract people year-round, not just when students are in school.

"If we do our job right it will strengthen what's already here, increase the fabric of what it is and make it maybe the number one great college street in America," said John Goff, senior vice president of development for Cousins Properties.

The hearing was the first of three that are planned. Developers will not have a plan to present to the town until the spring. And construction would not start for more than two years.