Earlier in the year, John Kane of Kane Realty Corp., unveiledplans to redevelop the aging plaza into a dense, mixed-usedevelopment with several high-rise buildings and a parking garage.Not pleased with what they saw coming, neighbors quickly organizedthe North Hills Neighborhood Association to fight the plans. Theconflict presented a chance for Batchelor's students to participatein a real-life situation.

Leland H. Ulery, a 34-year-old student who is also an internwith an architectural firm in Raleigh, became interested becausethe project was actually on the drawing board. The projects fromall seven students were displayed at the university's School ofDesign and had to meet several requirements to receive a passingmark.

The drawings and models had to maintain the 100-foot vegetativebuffer currently in place between the plaza and the neighbors. Kanehas proposed cutting into it. The designs had to avoid placingparking garages on the site's perimeter, as well as be adaptable toa future society not reliant on cars. The designs could not useroads into or out of the site on certain streets, which could onlybe used for residential traffic. Also, the development had to bekept compatible with the existing neighborhood. Kane has suggestedbuildings as high as 14 stories; the students were encouraged tobuild low.