Durham’s historic City Garage redeveloped (again). See what’s in store
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- Wye Junction will bring 310 apartments and 26,326 sq. ft. of retail to Durham.
- The site includes the restored historic City Garage and 1926 fire drill tower.
- Pre-leasing starts in summer 2025, with first move-ins expected by fall 2025.
Once a fleet maintenance hub, City Garage — and the 1926 fire drill tower next door — are getting repurposed into a mixed-use complex in Durham’s Warehouse District.
The project, developed by Ram Realty Advisors and renamed Wye Junction, will include a six-story wrap-style apartment building with ground-floor retail and a second, five-story apartment building, with ground-floor retail space on the building’s south side. It will be connected by a multilevel open-air bridge.
In total, it will add 310 one-, two, and three-bedroom market-rate apartments and 26,326-square-feet of ground-floor retail at 701 Washington St. That includes the restored City Garage, a one-story polygonal building built in 1930, with arcaded bays and stepped parapets.
“Wye Junction reflects our deep appreciation for Durham’s past and our excitement for its future,” said Michael Bowden, vice president of assets at Ram Realty Advisors.
The 5.2-acre property, also known as City Place, sits just around the corner from the historic Durham Athletic Park and the future Durham Rail Trail. Among the planned amenities: a pool, upper-level sky lounge, fitness center, coworking spaces, pet amenities (including “away-from-home” services with mail, plant and cat care for up to three days, the firm said).
A handful of retailers have already opened on site. They include Plum Southern Kitchen & Bar, Atomic Clock Brewing Co. and Bull City Running Co.
Pre-leasing and tours are expected to begin in late summer. First move-ins are slated this fall, Bowden said.
A Durham landmark
Decades ago, City Garage helped spark downtown Durham’s resurgence.
In the 1980s, it housed three city government departments — Parks & Recreation, Asset Management, and Transportation — with over 100 city vehicles on site, according to Open Durham.
In 1998, developer Todd Zapolski purchased and renovated the property. It later reopened as City Place, a commercial office space. In 2000, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ram Realty acquired the parcels prior to early 2023 and began site work later that year.
The Florida-based firm is also behind the redevelopment of Chapel Hill’s University Place, a partially enclosed mall that is getting transformed into a mixed-use destination with apartments, shops and restaurants.
This story was originally published August 5, 2025 at 5:45 AM.
