By Gregory Childress

gchildress@heraldsun.com; 918-1046

CHAPEL HILL — Whether the UNC football team wins, loses or ties this fall, several area organizations would like Tar Heel fans to linger a while after the game.

The earlier fans arrive in town and the later they stay, the better it is for Chapel Hill businesses, the organizations say.

“The more people we can get to visit, come early and stay late, the more chances our businesses have of surviving,” said Laurie Paolicelli, executive director of the Chapel Hill/Orange County visitors Bureau.

Paolicelli’s organization, in conjunction with the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, Town of Chapel Hill, UNC Department of Athletics and UNC Rams Club, have banded to create the “Touch Downtown Chapel Hill” campaign to bolster community spirit and economic activity during football weekends.

Started a year ago, the aim of the aggressive marketing and media campaign is to remind the 60,000 UNC fans who cram into Kenan Stadium on any given Saturday that there is a lot to do in Chapel Hill before and after games.

“We want to maximize the benefit of all these guests,” Paolicelli said.

Arrangements have been made with Chapel Hill Transit to extend service to two Park & Ride Lots on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to three hours before and three hours after the game. Drop-off points include Franklin Street, Tar Heel Town and Kenan Stadium.

The organizations involved in the campaign cite the town’s nearly 100 restaurants, 50 specialty stores and plethora of family cultural attractions as examples of interesting and desirable things to do while in Chapel Hill.

“If we can get them to stay an extra night, eat a meal in a restaurant … then that’s helpful to the economy,” said Jim Norton, executive director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership.

Norton said there was a noticeable uptick in business downtown and hotels last football season, the first year of the “Touch Downtown Chapel Hill” campaign.

“It has a lot of benefit all the way around,” Norton said.

A recent economic impact study by Nathan Tomasini of the Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Sports Leadership found that the 2008 UNC-Notre Dame football game generated $6.4 million for the Chapel Hill and Orange County economies, plus $325,000 in local and state tax revenue.

It’s projected that UNC’s seven home games this season will have an economic impact of more than $40 million, with more than $2 million in local and state tax revenue.

Norton said another city parking lot will be opened this year for tailgating. For $20, fans will be able to tailgate at the lot at Rosemary and Church streets.

“We’re just trying to make it easier for folks to park downtown, tailgate or grab a bit to eat at a restaurant before or after the game,” Norton said.

Rick Steinbacher, associate athletic director for marketing and promotions, said the bus service is extremely well used by fans.

While having sports venues on campus is the ideal, Steinbacher said the down side is the lack of parking.

“The bus system was adjusted to make that easier,” Steinbacher said.

Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp and UNC Director of Athletics Dick Baddour have sent letters to local merchants urging them to take full advantage of game day.

“Given the challenging economic times we are all facing, it is more important than ever to do all that we can to capitalize on unique, business-building opportunities such as UNC football weekends, to no only maximize sales on Saturdays in the fall, but also use those days to showcase all that Orange County has to offer to encourage fans to come back throughout the year,” the letter reads.

Merchants have been given a number of suggestions to promote game day, including having employees wear something with the UNC logo, fly UNC flags outside establishments, place banners or signs in the window, offer game day specials, employ a face painter to paint “Heel” logos on children’s and adults’ faces and encourage employees to ask customers to come back after the game.

“In today’s economy, it’s important to ask for the business,” Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement. “There was a day when we could assume our streets, hotels and restaurants would be full, but other communities have stepped up their efforts to attract Carolina fans and we must do the same.”