Durham County renames building to honor former mayor, commissioner Bill Bell
Durham’s longest serving mayor is being honored for his service to the community with a building name change.
Durham County’s Administration Building II, at 201 E. Main St. downtown, will be renamed forr William V. “Bill” Bell, who served as mayor from 2001 to 2017.
The Durham County commissioners voted unanimously for the name change Monday evening.
Before becoming mayor, Bell was a county commissioner from 1972 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2000.
During his time on the county board, Bell is credited with leading the merger of the city’s poor and predominantly Black schools with the mostly white and wealthy county schools, according to county records. The process was completed in 1992, and led to Bell losing his bid for re-election two years later.
Bell was just 31 years old when he was first elected commissioner, said Chairwoman Nida Allam, who is that age now.
“That stood out to me because it shows how important it is for young people to step up and serve,” she said. “Bill Bell really set the example back in the day, and his commitment only grew stronger as the decades went on.”
‘A very historic moment’
As mayor, Bell is remembered for revitalizing Durham’s neighborhoods and transforming downtown from boarded-up buildings to hotels and tech startups with projects like the American Tobacco Campus and Durham Performing Arts Center.
In addition to his public service, Bell served in the military, reaching the rank of first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He is a graduate of Howard University and New York University. Bell and his wife, Judith, raised four children in Durham.
Currently, Bell serves on the NCCU Board of Trustees.
The nomination to rename the Administration Building stemmed from a 2017 application submitted by one of Bell’s daughters and N.C. Central University professor Kristen Bell Adair, who initially asked the county to rename the Durham Convention Center for her father.
“He has done a lot for this community, and continues to do a lot for this community,” Adair said Monday night.
Earlier this year, Vivian Street in downtown Durham was renamed William V. Bill Bell Way. The street connects Blackwell and South Mangum streets in front of DPAC.
“There’s no question in my mind he loves Durham,” his wife said at the street renaming ceremony, according to a story by ABC11, The News & Observer’s media partner.
The Durham County commissioners all highlighted Bell’s service on the board and as mayor at Monday’s meeting.
“This is a very historic moment,” said Commissioner Michelle Burton, who moved to Durham in 1992 to work in public schools as the merger was happening. “Durham would not be Durham if it wasn’t for the leadership of Bill Bell.”
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 2:41 PM.