Durham to pay $2.825 million for courthouse site

DURHAM -- The county has agreed to pay $2.825 million to owners of a former U-Haul site on South Mangum Street, a parcel where a new courthouse complex is proposed.

The county was using its power of eminent domain to take the property, but must pay property owners a fair market value.

Until this week, when the settlement was announced, the property owners and county had differed on what that price should be.

The county had contended that the property was worth $1.375 million. The parties were scheduled to take their case to trial on Dec. 10, an action rendered moot by the settlement.

The county plans to use the U-Haul property and a condemned 2.2 acre-site on Roxboro Street, for courthouse complex that will be larger than the Main Street courthouse.