Downtown Durham Development Map

[SydneyCarton]

https://www.wral.com/ceo-of-carolina-theatre-pushes-back-against-5-million-proposal-to-turn-durham-parking-deck-into-residential-tower/20453802/?version=amp

[Durham_Transplant]

This line of thinking is so frustrating. Here’s a thought: maybe having hundreds of people living across the street would actually *improve* the outlook for the Carolina Theater. With the major residential and office developments planned for that stretch in addition to new retail/restaurants I would think the theater could thrive as the arts centerpiece.

[SydneyCarton]

3 hours ago, Durham_Transplant said:

This line of thinking is so frustrating. Here’s a thought: maybe having hundreds of people living across the street would actually *improve* the outlook for the Carolina Theater. With the major residential and office developments planned for that stretch in addition to new retail/restaurants I would think the theater could thrive as the arts centerpiece.

I agree.  

[Phillydog]

On 9/7/2022 at 8:40 AM, SydneyCarton said:

I don't really like the design, but it's better than having a huge parking garage.

 

Love that it's mid century modern.  More buildings in downtown Durham is great.

4 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

https://www.wral.com/ceo-of-carolina-theatre-pushes-back-against-5-million-proposal-to-turn-durham-parking-deck-into-residential-tower/20453802/?version=amp

There goes my support for the Carolina Theater.

[SydneyCarton]

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article263414508.html

Developer Nish Evans plans to demolish a downtown Durham building and replace it with a 12-story tower, records show. The Historic Preservation Commission unanimously granted Evans’ request this month because although the building is around a century old, it has been so dramatically altered that it is no longer thought to contribute to the district’s historic character. The building, at 216 Rigsbee Ave., is just south of the city’s Morgan-Rigsbee parking garage and opposite the U.S. Post Office….

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article263414508.html#storylink=cpy

Edited September 19, 2022 by SydneyCarton

[Phillydog]

Awesome!  More density downtown, where it belongs.  The more we act like our downtowns are sacred places that can't change, the more sprawl we'll have and less access to opportunity for anyone without a car.

 

[SydneyCarton]

20 hours ago, Phillydog said:

Awesome!  More density downtown, where it belongs.  The more we act like our downtowns are sacred places that can't change, the more sprawl we'll have and less access to opportunity for anyone without a car.

 

I agree.  Durham has a lot of potential.

[Mid South NC]

Durham is considering an unsolicited $5 million offer for one of its downtown parking decks from a developer who wants to build the city’s tallest building on the land, but the City Council reacted with skepticism to the proposal Thursday. 
 

 “We’ll find a way to make this happen,” - Craig Davis 

Edited September 22, 2022 by Mid South NC

[nicholas]

1 hour ago, Mid South NC said:

Durham is considering an unsolicited $5 million offer for one of its downtown parking decks from a developer who wants to build the city’s tallest building on the land, but the City Council reacted with skepticism to the proposal Thursday. 
 

 “We’ll find a way to make this happen,” - Craig Davis 

That would be an extremely short-sighted move on the city's part, that block is DEAD currently as it is a completely exposed ugly parking deck.  No one lives there, tax value is minimal, it's ugly....I mean name a single upside to the city killing/significantly watering down this project.

[Durham_Transplant]

16 hours ago, nicholas said:

That would be an extremely short-sighted move on the city's part, that block is DEAD currently as it is a completely exposed ugly parking deck.  No one lives there, tax value is minimal, it's ugly....I mean name a single upside to the city killing/significantly watering down this project.

It makes so much sense and yet people have already started making silly complaints about it. That area could be the beginning for a true downtown core with the Y redevelopment project, the next phase of Durham ID, the Novus tower (plus phase 2 of that project) and this proposed tower. But leaving this huge chunk of that block as a parking deck really kills that momentum. I’m optimistic that it will get done in some form but it’s frustrating how much Durham gets in its own way.

[Phillydog]

Don't get me started...

[SydneyCarton]

 https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2022/10/durham-development-affordable-housing-city-council-research-triangle-park-earl-guill-dedreana-freeman-leonardo-williams

Durham City Council discusses proposed $5 million development, raises affordable housing concerns

 

Photo by Irma Lopez | The Chronicle

By Ranjan Jindal

October 2, 2022 | 10:00pm EDT

 

 

It’s lame that they include a photo of Raleigh in an article about Durham…

Edited October 4, 2022 by SydneyCarton

[Phillydog]

8 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

 https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2022/10/durham-development-affordable-housing-city-council-research-triangle-park-earl-guill-dedreana-freeman-leonardo-williams

Someone has to pay for all of Durham's public programs, but their message is "we don't want rich, white people " in our city.  Durham doesn't want a diversity of people of different incomes and backgrounds; typically this kind of attitude is more prevalent in wealthy suburbs, but for a city with as many problems as Durham to be so unwelcoming is sad.  If Durham weren't in the middle of the Triangle, it would be falling over backwards to attract investment and people.  I get the affordable housing issue but Durham has too many other problems with its infrastructure (its streets and stormwater facilities are a disaster); crime; schools, parks, etc., that it desperately needs the kind of tax revenue that more wealthy people moving here will make repairing and improving possible.  

[Durham_Transplant]

We need affordable housing in Durham but we also need more market rate housing, commercial space, retail, etc. You can’t have a thriving downtown without these things. Yet every single project that is proposed in Durham is met with “we don’t need this, we need affordable housing”. We can have both and in fact a meaningful amount of affordable housing is getting built right downtown today. I’m very concerned that city leadership is going to end up squandering a generational opportunity for the city. 

[Phillydog]

I regularly write the Council about projects.  They need to hear from people who are concerned about the viability and vibrancy of cities.

[KJHburg]

On 10/4/2022 at 9:09 AM, Durham_Transplant said:

We need affordable housing in Durham but we also need more market rate housing, commercial space, retail, etc. You can’t have a thriving downtown without these things. Yet every single project that is proposed in Durham is met with “we don’t need this, we need affordable housing”. We can have both and in fact a meaningful amount of affordable housing is getting built right downtown today. I’m very concerned that city leadership is going to end up squandering a generational opportunity for the city. 

True.  More housing supply even high end apartments creates Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing NOAH on the other end.  People who want and afford to will move to the newer complexes leaving older complexes to be more competitive in rent.  So all housing is needed in fast growing cities.  

[Raleigh Walker]

Fencing is up around the old University Ford dealership next to Whetstone apartments. Hopefully a sign of life lol

[SydneyCarton]

[SydneyCarton]

[SydneyCarton]

https://amp.newsobserver.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article269137297.html

[SydneyCarton]

https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2023/01/03/biggest-developments-in-raleigh-durham-chapel-hill2023