Published on February 19, 2026
The Town of Chapel Hill is opening a new downtown police substation, located at 306 West Franklin Street.
The substation is slated to open in early March and will have regular public hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This location will complement the East Franklin Street substation, located in the Post Office building.
Like the East Franklin Street substation, the new location will serve as a place where people can speak with police staff, file a report, or connect to resources. The new location will also be home to units that focus on safety in the downtown area, including the Downtown Patrol Unit and the CARE (Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement) team.
Chapel Hill Police Chief Celisa Lehew said that the opening of the new location reflects the Town’s commitment to engaging with downtown stakeholders and acting in response to what they hear. “I, along with our downtown officers and my colleagues on the Town’s Economic Development team, frequently walk the downtown corridor to talk with business owners, residents, and visitors. This substation arose from those conversations, and it will create another place for that ongoing engagement to take place.”
The Town worked with Longfellow Real Estate Partners to move into the substation space. “The team at Longfellow and our Police team are demonstrating the great possibilities of public-private collaborations and a shared interest in downtown.”