# @chapelboronews on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DMYbxTNvbDQ
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/32648199-chapelboronews-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/dcc4ac2f9f.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-07-21T19:35:51.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Chapelboro.com (@chapelboronews) — https://gondola.cc/chapelboronews

## Caption

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein would come to the Eastgate Crossing while growing up in Chapel Hill. As he walked around the shopping center on Friday, he pointed out which business spaces used to be which businesses.

“This used to be Sal’s Pizza,” Stein said to gathered media, gesturing at the Kipos Green Tavern building. “And over there was Mariakakis Pizza.”

But for this visit, dumpsters and restoration trucks lined the parking lots, contractors ripped out the insides of shops and the smell of waterlogged building materials lingered. Stein toured some of the businesses between East Franklin Street and Fordham Boulevard to see the extent of damage left by Tropical Depression Chantal’s historic rain and flooding on the night of July 6.

“I knew this place exceptionally well,” the governor said, “and it hurts my heart for these business owners who invested their blood, their sweat, their tears, their capital into building successful small businesses just to have it washed away in a single day. That’s what’s crazy: a few hours of rain can completely turn lives upside down.”

The preliminary property damage estimates in Chapel Hill from the floods are around $27 million, with $17 million of that coming from Eastgate, Mariakakis Plaza and the nearby University Place. On Friday, Stein and several Orange County dignitaries examined the restoration efforts at Kipos, as well as Olmaz Jewelers on the other side of the shopping center.

Co-owner of Olmaz Elie Abou-Rjeileh told Chapelboro despite his businesses being gutted and missing several feet of drywall all the way around, it was an “incredible honor” to welcome Stein inside. He said he is confident that both the local governments and state government will help provide resources to work toward reopening.

“The governor’s declaration of disaster marks an important first step in the long process of unlocking support,” said Abou-Rjeileh, “not just for us, but for all the tenants in Eastgate who were impacted. His decision to come to Chapel Hill and witness the damage firsthand brought a real sense of validation, pride, and renewed hope for the future.”

Full story on Chapelboro.com.
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#chantal #joshstein

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## Tags

chantal, joshstein

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