Which upcoming housing developments in Durham should you know about? Here’s a list.
Development of residential real estate projects has continued unabated this spring and summer despite the complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s a roundup of some important upcoming and proposed residential developments in the Durham, some of which are bound to generate controversy:
GeerHouse
Washington, D.C., developer Four Points is bringing a major mixed-use project to downtown Durham in the entertainment district of West Geer Street next to Durham’s Central Park.
The 2.3-acre apartment and retail site will have 349 units ranging from studios to two-bedrooms in addition to 35,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space, the developer says on its website.
The site will have two apartment towers of nine and 18 stories and will be built in two phases. The first phase proposes the 18 story tower with 205 apartments, parking and space for retail or restaurants, the development’s plans show.
A project timeline is unknown, the Triangle Business Journal reported.
Four Points bought the property for over $3.4 million last December, according to county records..
The developer did not return calls and emails from The News & Observer for comment on more details.
This development’s location is familiar — and controversial — because it’s the site of Motorco Music Hall, an entertainment staple in the city. The development’s plans say it will renovate the hall instead of tearing it down.
Both tweets and Reddit comments about the development express dissapointment that the development will change the nature of a popular location.
“At this point I feel bleakly amused by the fact that it is, once again, (expletive) apartments that will be replacing a favorite place,” wrote one Reddit user.
300 and 500 East Main Street
A new development will bring affordable units for low-income residents and market-rate luxury apartments to downtown Durham at 300 and 500 East Main street as part of an effort from the county to improve housing affordability, parking and economic investment.
Last summer, Durham County commissioners chose Laurel Street Residential, an affordable housing developer, to redevelop two county-owned parking lots into two five-story apartment buildings with retail space and a space for a preschool/daycare, The News & Observer previously reported.
Laurel Street has built 26 developments with affordable homes across North Carolina and is partnering with ZOM Living, a luxury apartment developer, for this project. It will use federal housing subsidies and over $7 million in loans from the county.
The 300 block will feature 105 affordable units for qualifying tenants (up to 80% of the area median income) ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. It will have six rooms for preschool/daycare use and commercial space and a 652-space parking deck, according to a presentation to Durham County outlining the project.
The 500 block of the project is projected to have 250 market-rate units, 200 affordable units within the local AMI, over 26,000 square feet for commercial space and a 1,250-space parking deck.
The two-part development is slated to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.
Durham YWCA affordable housing
The abandoned but historic Harriet Tubman YWCA in Durham at 312 East Umstead St., will be redeveloped into affordable housing for low-income residents by Reinvestment Partners, a Durham-based affordable housing developer.
The rezoning plans call for 14 affordable units on the 0.7-acre property.
The property was condemned and was going to be demolished before it was purchased by Reinvestment Partners last September, the developer’s website said.
Alta Davis apartments
Wood Partners, a national multifamily housing developer, announced the start of construction of Alta Davis, a luxury apartment community in Durham right next Research Triangle Park and other corporate parks.
The developers paid $10.9 million for the 21-acre property in early June.
The apartments will have 403 units across seven four-story buildings upon completion in late 2021, a press release said.
“We are excited about the opportunity to bring a residential community of the highest quality into the submarket, accommodating the growing number of new jobs in the region,” said Wood Partners director Caitlin Shelby in the press release.
The development is set to include upscale amenities like a game room, coffee bar, a saltwater swimming pool and even a coworking space.
Summer Meadows Apartments
Raleigh-based real estate developer Level 5 Ventures is building 83 “modern apartments” in a 5.5-acre site next to apartment and single-family home developments in suburban north Durham at 443 Hebron Road.
Development plans include three buildings of three stories each, expected for fall 2021 completion.
Laurel Meadow Townes
Level 5 Ventures is also planning a $21 million 97-home townhome community on Chalk Level Road that are meant for affordable housing, the developer’s website says.
The three-bedroom townhomes will be on 12 acres in north Durham in a suburban area. Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2021.
Brighton Station
National homebuilder Meritage Homes announced this week that it closed on 18 acres of land to build 70 two-story single family homes north of Research Triangle Park.
In a press release, Meritage Homes said Brighton Station would have affordably priced homes with six different floor plans with sales expected to start by late 2020. The target market is first-time homebuyers and young families.
Proposed Durham developments
Developers have filed rezoning requests with Durham County for proposed residential developments that the county must approve. Plans for developments often change during the approval process.
Here are some of them:
▪ Durham-based developer Horvath Associates asked to rezone over 130 acres north of downtown Durham to build 675 apartments, townhomes and single-family homes at 3819 Cub Creek Road. The filed plans say there would be at least 100 units of each type of home on the site.
Horvath Associates filed a second request to rezone over 100 acres to build 320 single-family homes and townhomes, according to plans filed with the county.
The request was made on behalf of the property owners, Joven Property Group of Apex and Leonard B. Shaffer, a trustee. The property is in east Durham at 2720 Faucette Avenue and is pending review from Durham County officials.
▪ Cary developer Bethesda Association filed a rezoning request for a proposed development of 240 single-family homes and townhomes on 47 acres north of Research Triangle Park.
That development is between Angier Avenue and U.S. Highway 70 at 1003 Cortez Drive and is pending review from the county.
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 2:26 PM.
