Changes in Downtown Durham

If you’re interested in how Durham is growing and want a voice in it’s future, please make sure to attend the following:

• Downtown Master Plan Meeting – TONIGHT 7-9pm @ Durham Convention Center
• Preliminary Site Layout Concepts Input Session for New Durham Police Headquarters Complex – Wednesday, May 13, 5:30-7 p.m @ Durham Armory
• Fix The Loop – Charette report to be released Thursday, May 14th.

Info on each after the break

When: Thursday, May 7th from 7pm – 9pm

Where: Downtown Durham Convention Center, Junior Ballroom

Image from Downtown Durham Master Plan (Development Concepts, 2000)

Downtown Durham is updating its 2008 Master Plan and needs your input. This first workshop will gather input on how the community views the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing Downtown Durham.

Downtown Durham’s growth has been guided by the original Master Plan in 2000, and the update in 2008. The following items were recommended by the 2008 Plan rand successfully implemented:

• Durham switching to a form based code
• Retail market study
• Downtown Open Space Study
• Building on surface parking lots to increase density and walkability

The original master plan was intended to be a living document that evolves with the changes and opportunities in Durham. Today, the Plan no longer fully accounts for the current physical landscape of downtown, current market trends, or the new constituents who have come to downtown in the last seven years. As a result, Downtown Durham, Inc., the City and the County believe it is time to assess the Master Plan objectives and to ensure that the Plan continues to be relevant to the Durham of today and tomorrow.

There will be additional possibilities for public input:

• Second Workshop #2 -July 11th from 10am-3pm
• Survey: posted after the first workshop on May 7th
• Free form comments can be sent to masterplan

New Durham Police Headquarters Complex

When: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Durham Armory – 212 Foster St.

The City of Durham General Services Department and the Durham City/County Planning Department are hosting a public input session for residents and stakeholders who wish to view preliminary site layout concepts for the new Durham Police Headquarters Complex.

This is a follow-up session to the April 16th Community Visioning Session where the City received input to learn what’s important to the community and what residents want to see in connection with the site and project. Residents will now have the opportunity to see how the design team is incorporating input into the preliminary site layout concepts, and share their thoughts and ideas with the City and the design team. The session will be a drop-in meeting where the community can attend at their convenience between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The "Fix The Loop" charette report "Downtown Durham From Potential to Greatness" will be released next Thursday, May 14th.