A city-owned parking deck in downtown Durham could soon get turned into apartments.
APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE. CHRIS. >> I JUST DON REPORTING LIVE. THANK YOU. CHELSEA. >> WE GO NOW TO DURHAM WHERE A PARKING DECK COULD TURN INTO THE TALLEST BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN. AND THE PROPOSAL WOULD BRING MORE HOUSING BUT COULD ALSO MAKE PARKING DOWNTOWN HARDER THAN IT ALREADY IS. >> RIGHT NOW THE CITY OWNS THE LOT, BUT A NEW 5 MILLION DOLLAR OFFER COULD CHANGE THAT. WRAL’S. SARAH KRUEGER EXPLAINS HOW LIKELY THIS IS TO GO THROUGH. AND SARAH, THIS IS KIND OF SURPRISE WHEN IT WAS OFFERED. >> DEFINITELY THIS WAS AN UNSOLICITED OFFER THAT THE DEVELOPER BROUGHT TO THE CITY. BUT NOW IT IS AN OFFER THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER LATER THIS WEEK. AND JUST TO SITUATE YOU ON WHERE WE ARE, THIS PARKING DECK IN QUESTION IS JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CAROLINA THEATER. THIS COULD BE A MAJOR CHANGE FOR DOWNTOWN. THIS CITY-OWNED PARKING DECK ON MORGAN STREET WAS NOT LISTED FOR SALE. >> THAT DIDN’T STOP A DEVELOPER, THOUGH, FROM PUTTING IN AN OFFER FOR 5 MILLION DOLLARS. WE. >> I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE SITE COULD BE IMPROVED OR LEAGUE WILL IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT FOR CRAIG DAVIS PROPERTIES. HIS COMPANY ALREADY OWNS THE AIR RIGHTS ABOVE THE PARKING DECK. >> NOW IT’S TRYING TO BUY THE DECK, TOO. TURNING THE PARKING SPACES INTO A 32 STORY TOWER OF APARTMENTS AND RETAIL COLD. THE JAMES LIKELY WILL SAYS TO BE THE TALLEST BUILDING DOWNTOWN. THIS IS GOING TO BE A GAME-CHANGER. IT WILL DRIVE. NEW BUSINESS SAYS IT WILL DRIVE THE RESTAURANTS AND THE RETAIL SPENDING. THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WOULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PARKING INSTEAD OF THE 719 SPACES AT THE DURHAM CENTER PARKING DECK. THERE WOULD BE ONLY 382. I KNOW THAT WHENEVER MY FRIENDS COME DOWNTOWN TO GO OUT FOR THE NIGHT PARTY AT PARTIES, ALWAYS REALLY HARD TO FIND >> BUT AFTER JUST GOING THROUGH AND TRYING TO FIND A NEW HOUSING IS ALWAYS NEEDED PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE. SOME LAMENT THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE PROJECT AS PART OF THE PURCHASE THE DEVELOPER WOULD AGREE TO BUILD AT LEAST 6 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS ELSEWHERE. BUT NOT ON THIS SITE DOWNTOWN. AND ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC THAT CITY COUNCIL WILL ACCEPT YOUR OFFER? YES, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE WE HAVE WORKED WITH THEM OFFLINE. >> ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH MOST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, OTHER PROMINENT FIGURES, AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER TELLS ME THE PROJECT DOES HAVE HIS SUPPORT FOR NOW, I’M IN SUPPORT, BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO ALL. >> YOU KNOW, REALLY COMBING THROUGH ALL OF THE DETAILS THAT THE CONDITIONS THAT COME WITH >> AND IF YOU ARE WONDERING ABOUT THIS BUILDING, THE DUKE CLINICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE THAT IS ON THE OTHER HALF OF THE PARKING DECK. THIS WOULD NOT BE TOUCH. WE ARE REALLY TALKING HERE ABOUT THE WEST SIDE OF THE PARKING DECK OVER THAT WAY TOWARD MORRIS STREET. NOW ALL OF THIS WILL GO BEFORE CITY COUNCIL AT ITS WORK SESSION ON THURSDAY. TYPICALLY IN WORK SESSIONS, THERE ARE NO VOTES JUST DISCUSSIONS. CLEANUP. TERRY, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS ANYONE GOING TO DOWNTOWN EVENTS IN DURHAM, THAT’S TYPICALLY WHERE YOU PARK. SO IT’LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THEY’RE ABLE TO MAKE UP THOSE SPACES.
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