New Durham Hotels Earning Great Coverage

As Downtown Durham sprouts new opportunities to live, work, and play, it's exciting to see two recently opened hotels earn national recognition. The 21c Museum Hotel and The Durham are abuzz in the media.  And well they should be.  

These two properties are great examples of adaptive reuse architecture - a hallmark of Durham's unique sense of place and something that makes a visit here distinct. 

"Welcoming new hotel projects to Durham is exciting for both the business community and those visiting," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB). "But remember," Green cautioned, "When a new hotel opens, all of their rooms come empty and it takes a lot of marketing, promotion and sales activity to fill them."

Construction is also currently underway or on the horizon for the yet-to-be-named Jack Tar and The Graduate hotels.  That means the current number of hotels (including B&Bs and inns) and hotel rooms in Downtown Durham is eight with 676 rooms and will soon be 10 with 901 rooms.

And that doesn't count other newly-announced  mixed use developments such as the 12-acre Hendrick Auto Mall site which is slated for an additional hotel.

What the national media, such as those below, are saying about these two boutique properties will certainly help.

21c Museum Hotel

CNN recently named the 21c Museum Hotel Durham among "America's artsiest new hotels."

The Huffington Post said that Durham has "one of the fastest-growing cultural scenes in the nation." mentioning the historic hotel building's "pedigree.'

Curbed said that the 21c doesn't have "your average hotel art,"

Forbes Life noted that "Durham has signature penguins—in fuchsia—which mysteriously move around the hotel throughout your stay."

Hotel Chatter proclaimed that "21c Museum Hotels Will Shake Up The Durham Hotel Scene Next Year"

The Durham

The New York Times reported on the hotel's opening, saying that the hotel "draws on local talents, from a celebrated chef to an indie record label, breathing new life into a former bank building downtown."

Condé Nast said, "The 53-room luxury boutique property features a buzzed-about restaurant helmed by James Beard Award–winning chef Andrea Reusing,.."


Travel & Leisure magazine, which named Durham one of the best places to travel in 2015, "loves the hotel's 'commitment to all things North Carolina.'"

In addition to the two above, the Residence Inn Durham Duke University Medical Area is also now open on Main Street between Watts and Buchanan and The Aloft  is now open adjacent to DPAC, the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Bull City Sculpture Show

In Durham, art is a pretty big deal, so much so that starting tomorrow it will even be on street corners throughout Downtown Durham. Friday, May 2, marks the launch of the Bull City Sculpture Show which will continue through October. The show consists of large-scale installation pieces which will be in place from the Historic Durham Athletic Park to the American Tobacco Campus. Find a map and more information here.

Downtown Durham, Inc. Launches “Find Your Cool” Summer Concert Series At CCB Plaza on May 9

Durham fans won't need to search hard to find the cool in Durham this summer.

Downtown Durham Inc. will launch its free “Find Your Cool” Summer Concert Series at CCB Plaza, Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m.  From soul to salsa, African to Americana, “the plaza with the bronze bull” will be bustling with local bands, locally-brewed beer from Bull City Burger and Brewery and people of all ages, ready to start the weekend a day early.

Twenty years ago, when Downtown Durham Inc. was a young organization, formed to serve as a catalyst for downtown revitalization, an after-work concert series was one of its first projects to revive the city center.  Today, Durham is “America’s #1 Creative Class Metro” according to The Atlantic. “Downtown Durham is thriving with new restaurants, bakeries, shops and venues opening every month. I’m thrilled DDI is bringing back a regular music series, and honored, as a long-time Durham resident and fan, to be a part of it all” says Downtown Durham Inc. Special Events Coordinator and series organizer Tess Mangum Ocaña.

“Find Your Cool” Summer Concert Series

Thursday Nights, 7-8:30pm, CCB Plaza

Jo Gore & The Alternative (Soul) – May 9

Onyx Club Boys (Gypsy Jazz) – May 16

Sarah Shook & The Devil (Rockabilly) – May 23

Virgins Family Band (Pop) – May 30

The Pinkerton Raid (Pop/Americana) – June 6

Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos (Blues) – June 13

Dark Water Rising (Rock) – June 20

Orquesta GarDel (Salsa) – June 27

Cyril Lance Collective Arkestra (Blues) - July 11

Jonathan Byrd (Americana) – July 18

Birds & Arrows (Alternafolk) – July 25

The Fair and the Four (Americana) – August 1

Khalat Africa featuring Diali Cissokho (West African) – August 8

The “Find Your Cool” Summer Concert Series is made possible in part by Downtown Durham, Inc., Friends of World Music, MHAworks Architecture, the City of Durham and Bull City Burger and Brewery. Concerts are at CCB plaza, 201 N. Corcoran Street, between the Marriott and SunTrust building, from May 9-August 8, with the exception of July 4.  Free on-street parking is available within the City Center District and paid parking is available at the Corcoran Street deck.

In case of rain, concerts will be moved indoors, right around the corner, at The Pinhook, 117 W Main Street.  For more information, ways to volunteer during the series, or information on tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities, contact Tess Mangum Ocaña, Special Events Coordinator, (919) 682-2800 or email.

Durham always has exciting things to do.  See them all on the Durham Event Calendar.

Audio Rule to Host Downtown Durham Walk/Run April 27

Durham-based music company, Audio Rule Sound Design will host a one mile walk/run event on April 27 to benefit the Audio Education Institute, an audio engineering education program for youth.


The run will take place starting at North Carolina Central University and ending at Goldenbelt in Downtown Durham. Quinton White, a graduate of the Audio Education Institute who has been accepted to a recording arts school, will be at the event along with the incoming 2013 AEI class. Students from the new class will also be performing at the end of the race. To register for or donate to the Mile Walk/Run visit online.

About Audio Rule Sound Design's Audio Education Institute

Audio Rule Sound Design is an audio engineering company committed to comprehensive customized solutions for sound design. Audio Education Institute students receive music training from some of the nation’s best musicians.


Registration for the education Institute is open until June and has space for 10 participants per semester. Applications are available at: www.ncsvsdurham.com

For more information about this event or to schedule an interview with Audio Rule Sound Design or North Carolina Sound and Visual Symposium Staff call Alicia Sidney-Vick at 919-886-7311 or email at info@ncsvsdurham.com

Bull City Burger and Brewery Announces Golden Bull Scavenger Hunt and Exotic Meat Month

Free burgers for a year sounds too good to be true, right? Getting to choose between Caribou, Python, and Beaver burgers sounds too cool to be true, right? Not so in Durham, a place with an incredible commitment to food.

Bull City Burger and Brewery begins its third annual Golden Bull scavenger hunt on Friday March 1st. along with its second annual Exotic Meat Month.

Clues to the Golden Bull scavenger hunt will be given on the website, Facebook and Twitter for the location of five hidden Golden Bulls.  When a bull is found it must be claimed for the prize - free burgers, fries and drinks, one a week, for a year. The contest is modeled after the movie Willy Wonka and the golden tickets.  The contest is open to anyone 18 or older.  Full details and rules are on the website and can be found by clicking on the golden bull on the BCBB home page.

The purpose of the contest is not only to promote the restaurant and brewery, but also to promote Downtown Durham and like-minded businesses, public places, landmarks and historic markers.  No business knows they are hiding a golden bull until it is found.  The bull hiders are very tricky people and the clues are challenging.  For those who stay in the hunt the rewards are delicious for a year.  Last year, the contest created a legion of followers even creating its own hash tag on Twitter.  This year, the hash tag is #bcbbgoldenbull.  Last year word spread that office workers became distracted, graduate work labs slowed down and people from all walks of life enjoyed the fun.  This year promises the same and more.

This year's Exotic Meat Month will feature exotic meat burgers all month long.  Going by the motto, “I never met a meat I wouldn't eat,” BCBB is specially sourcing exotic meats for limited burgers each week.  The meats range from Caribou, Python, Elk, Ostrich, Beaver,  Alligator and more.  Throughout the month different types of burger meat will be featured, rotating daily or weekly depending on the scarcity of that meat. Each time a new type of meat burger is available it will be posted on the website and on the Bull City Burger Facebook page.

Cece Lopez, head of all things culinary at BCBB, along with owner Seth Gross, have been working for two months to source exotic meats for this month long celebration.  Some of the meats are so difficult to get, there may be as few as twelve burgers available.  The idea is to show that a burger is not made from only beef, to learn about other cultures and foods consumed, plus have a little fun.  Several meats are for only the most adventurous and daring of eaters. T-shirts commemorating the event will be available for sale and if any customer eats any six exotic burgers in March, they earn a free t-shirt. The t-shirts have the motto, “I never met a meat I wouldn’t eat.”  It’s all in the spirit of fun and adventure.

Bull City Burger is a restaurant and brewery that embodies the farm-to-fork philosophy.  “If it’s on the menu at Bull City Burger and Brewery, we most likely have made it from scratch or bought it locally,” said Seth Gross, owner of Bull City Burger and Brewery.  “We grind NC pasture raised beef daily, make the buns, make the mustard, the mayo, make the bacon, pickle the pickles and stuff our all-beef hotdogs.  No corn syrup, no added hormones, no antibiotics, no hydrogenated fats and, we focus on making the best burgers and hotdogs we can produce.”  Bull City Burger and Brewery works with local farmers to source as much of the produce as possible for the restaurant.

For more information about great restaurants in Durham, click here.

Downtown Durham Inc Hires Tess Mangum Ocaña to Launch New Downtown Summer Concert Series

The reemergence of Downtown Durham as an arts and culture destination has been gathering momentum for years, and it just got another big boost. Local music luminary and Durhamite Tess Mangum Ocaña has been hired by Downtown Durham Inc (DDI) to start booking a new concert series to start this summer.

Running from May to August, shows will be on Thursday nights from 7:00 PM - 8:30PM on CCB Plaza right in the heart of Downtown.  The shows will feature musical acts from around the Triangle area.

Tess is a seventh generation North Carolinian. Though she grew up in a musical family (her grandmother, Kate Mangum, taught Randy Travis how to play guitar and still lives in Union County and great-uncle Homer Briarhopper was fortunate to call Doc Watson a fan), she always felt her role in the family business was behind the scenes.

From 2002-2012, she served as Concerts Director at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, a 355 seat non-profit performing arts center, where she developed the critically-acclaimed American Roots Series. This series helped launched the careers of the Avett Brothers and Durham-based Carolina Chocolate Drops, as well as shine a spotlight on American music legends such as Dr. John and Mavis Staples. For her long-term commitment to enhancing the cultural resources of this region, Tess was the recipient of the 2012 Indy Arts Award.  "I'm very excited to join the Downtown Durham, Inc. crew, especially at this time in my hometown's history, and to craft a fantastic, fun, free concert season for the Spring and Summer," said Mangum Ocaña.

“Tess brings the experience, passion and vision we felt necessary to make this concert series entertaining and successful from day one,” says DDI’s Matthew Coppedge.  “We can’t wait to launch the series for the entire community to enjoy!” Tess lives in Durham, with her husband and their two sons. When not talking, reading, writing or thinking about music, she likes to make a run for the nearest whitewater kayaking spot.

For more information about free things to do or music events in Durham, visit the Durham Events Calendar

Durham's Frightful Family Fun Coming Up

Residents, families, and visitors looking for a unique way to celebrate Halloween, while raising money for local charities, should mark their calendars now for the first-ever Durham Monster Dash.

The event, scheduled for Friday, October 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., will include a costumed charity run/walk through the historic streets of downtown Durham followed by food trucks, costume prizes, music, and the “Thriller Dance” in front of City Hall on 101 City Hall Plaza.

The Durham Monster Dash is a three-mile course through the streets of downtown and another kid-friendly one-mile course through the alleys and open spaces in downtown. Durham City-County Planning Department staff and community volunteers will set up “monster zones” to provide extra thrills along the route.

The event is being organized by the Durham City-County Planning Department as part of the City’s Culture of Service Initiative and 7 Stars, which is the annual City employee giving campaign. Planning staff will also be using this event to test the use of the City’s public open spaces and pedestrian accessibility and connectivity downtown.

“For the Planning Department’s staff, the Durham Monster Dash is a fun way to help charities that enrich children’s environments. We also look at the event as an opportunity to invite people to explore our beloved downtown’s architecture, streets, alleys, and open spaces,” said Steve Medlin, director of the Durham City-County Planning Department. “The event is a way for planning staff to engage with the community around a charitable event while developing new skills to meet an unusual challenge.”

Sponsors of this event include the Durham Police Department, WXDU 88.7 FM, and Road ID. WXDU will also be hosting a costumed dance after-party at The Pinhook, located at 117 W. Main St.

Participants are asked to register for this event online and provide a monetary donation. Proceeds collected from this event will be benefit Kidznotes, The Scrap Exchange, Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc., and Girls Rock, N.C.

For more information, including a registration form and route map, visit the event website. Participants may also keep up with the latest news on the Durham Monster Dash by “liking” their Facebook page. 

Durham is also home to a Zombie Lurch which might be appealing for those looking for more ghoulish fun. The event is in its sixth year, and it never disappoints.  Get more details at the link.

Durham always has fun and interesting things to do.  Stay up to date on all that is happening by signing up for the Durham Event Calendar emails or visiting the calendar online, liking Durham on Facebook, and with the official Durham visitors website.

Downtown Durham Inc Launches New Ambassador Team for Downtown

Part of Downtown Durham's charm are its old buildings, some winding streets, and most of all, the great people always willing to help. Now, that help is getting a formal boost from some folks charged with providing extra assistance to those moving around Downtown Durham, as well as ensuring that the area always looks its best.

Downtown Durham Inc (DDI), in partnership with the City of Durham, Durham County and downtown stakeholders from the private sector, is excited to launch the new Downtown Improvement District Clean & Safe Ambassador Team. This team will bring a new level of cleanliness, safety and hospitality to the streets of Downtown Durham, thus helping Downtown Durham to continue competing with the 1,000+ other cities around the country that already have enhanced downtown improvement services.

“We are excited about this new phase in Downtown Durham’s revitalization effort,” says Downtown Durham Inc President Bill Kalkhof. “Just like the DBAP, American Tobacco and DPAC were transformational projects for downtown, this new Clean & Safe Ambassador Team will help take our community to the next level of downtown revitalization, allowing us to continue to successfully compete with cities across the country.”

In partnership with Service Group Inc (SGI), a national leader in providing Improvement District Clean and Safe Services, and the City of Durham’s Economic and Workforce Development Department, DDI has put together a knowledgeable and personable team of Clean and Safe Ambassadors. In total, we will have 10 team members to begin the program; the Clean & Safe Program Manager, 6 permanent full/part time Ambassadors and 3 additional temporary ambassadors from City of Durham workforce programs. Nine of the new Ambassadors are Durham residents that were recruited directly from the City of Durham’s Joblink Career Center System, which assists businesses with recruitment efforts and job seekers with employment opportunities. Notably, the full time Ambassadors will be earning Durham’s Living Wage, and are eligible for full benefits after 3 months of employment.

The first hire of the team, Elizabeth “Liz” Wilson, will serve as the Clean & Safe Program Manager. Liz has been with SGI for 3 years, beginning as a pan and broom ambassador, then serving as a Supervisor for Downtown Jacksonville, FL, and most recently helping to launch the Hillsborough Street improvement district in Raleigh. She will bring the experience and knowledge to successfully launch and guide the new team. Liz was a 1999 graduate with Honors, from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, where she obtained a BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies. Her interest includes a wide variety of human and gender rights issues, solutions to Homelessness, and the barriers for mentally ill persons.

Under the management of Ms. Wilson, the Ambassador team will be cleaning and maintaining public
spaces, welcoming and assisting visitors, connecting those in need to social services, promoting
downtown amenities and business, assisting with special events, power washing sidewalks, weed & graffiti removal and much more. Our new Ambassador Team will be on the streets six days a week (Mon-Sat), with rotating shifts & zones and coverage on most days from 7am-10pm. In addition, the Ambassadors will also assist with for specials events and projects. (please see attached handout for a detailed list of services provided by the Ambassador team).

For stakeholders and visitors, we have established a new phone line and web address to report any
issues in downtown that need to be addressed, which are listed below.

Ambassador Hotline: 919-682-BULL (919-682-2855)
Service Request: Website

Calls to the Ambassador Hotline will be forwarded directly to an on-duty ambassador during regular
team hours and service requests will be entered into the system. Users can also go to the website and
enter the service request themselves and track the entire process, from the reporting of the issue
through the time when the issue is resolved.

Learn more about Durham online, and stay updated on all the upcoming events happening here with the Durham Event Calendar.

Durham to Host NBC 17 Today Show on May 8

Set the alarm for 4:00AM on Tuesday May 8th. Obviously it's early, but without that wake up you might miss some of the fun.

Fun? At 4:00? AM?

Yes.

Starting at 4:30 AM (the extra half hour is for getting ready) on Tuesday May 8th, viewers tuning in to NBC-17 to see the local Today show, will get an eye full of Durham live from the CCB Plaza Downtown. The public is encouraged to be there. At 4:30.  Really.

Those truly motivated can come on down to the plaza anytime during the broadcast, according to Sam Poley, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We know it will be hard for some folks to get out of bed, so we asked some local businesses to get up with us, too," he said.  


So far, Blue Coffee which is located across the street from the plaza where the taping will occur will open at 4:30 with coffee available until their normal operating hours commence, and Only Burger will have their truck on the scene with their Breakfast Burger and some other offerings targeted to the early riser. DCVB will use their social media channels as other businesses announce their intentions to serve the crowd, too. "Our objective is to make this something of a party," Poley added.


Using Downtown Durham as the backdrop, NBC 17 will broadcast live for their show as well as the breaks during the national broadcast that begins at 7 AM. "Let's just say there are some cool things in the works for this," Poley added.

This program of broadcasting live from places in the viewing area is a chance for the towns to highlight the people, the businesses, the food and the good news that flows out of communities every day. Anchor Phil Sanchez and meteorologist Bill Reh will be in the field as NBC-17 shares the stories that make each community distinct.

The series kicks off Monday May 7th from Fuquay-Varina and will be in Durham the following day. It’s a great chance to fall in love – for the first time or all over again – with some of the places that make living here so remarkable.

“We live in a marvelous place. Taking our show on the road is a wonderful way to highlight the communities in this market,” News Director Andrea Parquet-Taylor said. “And we want to give people a chance to share their stories in fresh, appealing ways.”


This exposure is important for Durham. Downtown is in the midst of a massive revitalization and the use of a location in the heart of it is quite strategic, according to Poley. "NBC-17's broadcast area covers 23 counties all within a travel range that is vital to Durham as a visitor destination.  The potential audience for this is quite significant," he said. 


 "We're excited to work with NBC-17 to bring a glimpse of life in Durham to all those people for a morning - if they see what we've got going on here then we're hoping they'll begin to appreciate that Durham is the place where great things happen. We hope they'll want to pay us a visit and see what all the excitement and buzz are about."

Durham's History Has A New Home

The Museum of Durham History (MoDH) has signed a multi-year lease with the City of Durham for the former Downtown Durham Bus Transfer Station to serve as the Museum’s first home.

Located at 521 West Morgan Street, the 1,600-square foot building has been newly named the Durham History Hub. Long-range plans are for the Hub to provide an overview of Durham’s lively past and be a jumping off point for further exploration at various heritage sites. The History Hub’s background and preliminary renderings are found on the Museum’s website.

“Right now, Durham lacks a place where people can get the big picture of our community’s unique past, a place that puts current issues in context and helps guide our future,” said Lew Myers, chairman of the Museum’s board of directors. “We see the Hub having a very positive impact on tourism, downtown redevelopment and hometown pride.”

Immediate plans call for a phased-in basic upfit followed later by finishing the space and completing the design, fabrication and installation of exhibits. “We’re aggressively pursuing corporate, government and foundation grants as well as individual donations,” added Myers. “We have a solid start, but there’s a lot to be done in the funding area. That’s why we’re phasing in our use of the building gradually and concentrating right now on programs and events for our outside space and on services online. We plan to bring permanent staff on board soon to be housed at the Hub.”

When fully operational, the Hub will offer exhibits and installations that engage visitors in topics important to Durham’s development.  Tobacco, textiles, civil rights, higher education, entrepreneurship, and the arts are among potential exhibit areas in the years ahead.

“But we’re not going to be the ‘don’t touch’ kind of museum that relies solely on artifacts,” explained co-director Katie Spencer. “Our focus is people, and we’ll tell Durham’s story through the words and experiences of this community. Several of our early events will be ‘pop-up’ museums where residents can share a family heirloom for a day. And we’ll run a ‘Then and Now’ photo project that visually documents how Durham has changed. From day one, this will be a community museum full of the very human side of history.”

In the next few months, the Hub will be gathering ideas from residents, recruiting volunteers, hosting some community events and taking part in activities such as the Spring Art Walk, Centerfest and Third Fridays. Directions for self-guided downtown walking tours will soon be found at the Hub.

Really Small News?

The creators of the Bull City Startup Stampede are back at it with a new project.  It's a really big deal and a great opportunity for the winner.  The exposure will be massive and the financial value is big.  It's just that the space is, well, small.

Really small.

The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Durham, Inc. are partnering once again to bring entrepreneurs to downtown Durham, this time through an initiative called The Smoffice. A national competition, The Smoffice will provide one startup with six months of free space in “The World’s Smallest Office” as well as  a free six-month lease on a downtown condo.

The Smoffice will be located in the storefront window of Beyu Caffe, a prominent coffee shop on Main Street. “We are excited to be working with Dorian (owner of Beyu) as we think entrepreneurship and coffee make a great pair,” said Adam Klein, Startup Strategist at the Durham Chamber. “We like the energy of the crowd that spends time at Beyu Caffe and think this location will give the winning entrepreneur an easy opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow entrepreneurs and Durham’s business leaders.”

The Smoffice design was created by Center Studio Architecture and constructed by McDonald York. The winning entrepreneur will enjoy a custom built desk as well as free furniture from CBi and a tablet. In addition to the commercial space, the winner will get to enjoy downtown Durham around the clock with a free condo at Mangum 506.

“Downtown Durham powers startups and we want to give The Smoffice winner as much exposure and time in Durham as possible,” said Downtown Durham Inc.’s Director of Marketing Matthew Coppedge. “We are quickly becoming a significant startup hub and The Smoffice gives us a great chance to continue to feature entrepreneurs and the kind of energy and creativity they drive in a downtown environment. This initiative will show that one does not need the best or fanciest space to launch a successful company, but rather be surrounded by a stimulating environment and people.”

The Smoffice winner will also receive technical assistance from startup experts in legal, accounting and marketing. Perhaps most important, the winner will be networked with the 70 other startups that call downtown Durham home.

 Applications for The Smoffice open on Leap Day, February 29 and close Friday, March 30. Interested applicants can learn more at www.thesmoffice.com or on Twitter @thesmoffice. Applications should include a one page business plan along with a 60 second You Tube video detailing why the startup should win The Smoffice space. The Smoffice winner will be announced on Friday, April 13 and the winner will arrive in Durham and open The Smoffice on Monday, April 30. Website design for The Smoffice was provided by Kompleks Creative.

Durham is a great place for big ideas, big personalities and big businesses...but they all started someplace (ugh.) small.

Downtown Durham Businesses Team Up With Bull City Buck$ Program

Durham is widely known as a place of great innovation, so it's only fitting that such a program as Bull City Buck$ launched here this week.  Consider it a quantum leap forward in rewarding customer loyalty in the social space.

It's also really cool and easy to use and can be downloaded from Apple here; the Android app is coming soon.

Several Downtown Durham businesses have joined forces to announce the launch of Bull City Buck$, a new program that gives community members the opportunity to earn rewards by supporting local companies and doing the things they love to do every day -- plus, trying new things.

A consumer rewards application focused on living, shopping, eating and visiting Downtown Durham, Bull City Buck$ debuted at the American Tobacco Campus yesterday with more than ten Durham hot spots on board and more than $5,000 in prizes available for Bull City Buck$ participants.

By simply downloading the Bull City Buck$ smart phone app, Downtown Durham visitors can scan QR codes at participating restaurants, entertainment spots, shops or community destinations to earn varying amounts of Bull City Buck$. Those Buck$ can then be used to purchase prizes in the app’s prize store. Initial prizes include an iPad, tickets to DPAC shows and Durham Bulls games as well as fun experiences like the chance to become a beer brewer for a day.

“We’re thrilled to partner with fellow downtown advocates like the Durham Bulls and American Tobacco Campus on such an exciting program,” said University Ford and University Kia General Manager Jamie Young.  “Bull City Buck$ will reward folks for frequenting the places they love and encourage them to try out new places as well.”

In addition to scanning codes at participating businesses, app users will also be able to find codes at over 20 spots throughout Downtown Durham, like parking decks, landmarks, and various hidden locations.
The application was developed by Albright Digital, a division of Capitol Broadcasting Company’s New Media Group, located in the American Tobacco Campus’ American Underground entrepreneurial hub. Bull City Buck$ will continue to grow as participating locations, ways to earn Buck$, and new prizes are added frequently. Businesses interested in joining the program can email. For more information on Bull City Buck$, please visit the program's website.

The growing list of businesses includes:

•    Durham Bulls
•    DPAC
•    Bull City Burger
•    Mellow Mushroom
•    Tobacco Road
•    Fishmongers
•    Old Havana Sandwich Shop
•    L'uva
•    Cuban Revolution
•    Beauty and Bull Urban Spa
•    201 (restaurant at Durham Marriott)
•    YMCA

Start to Finish - Entrepreneurialism in Durham, NC

Imagine a community welcoming to people with ideas, passion and the desire to start a business; a place where when people hear the ideas of others they respond with “How can I help?” instead of “Good luck;” a place where even failure is ok as long as the road there is lined with integrity.

That place is Durham, NC.

Durham, a city with deep entrepreneurial roots, has been garnering national attention for its progressive and innovative nature for hundreds of years. Durham is home to Research Triangle Park (RTP), the largest high-tech research and science park in North America.  In addition, Downtown Durham is home to over 60 startup companies employing more than 500 people.

The startup culture is hardly new. Durham has always been a hotbed of entrepreneurialism - the Great American Indian Trading Path ran through here; a route that was an early manifestation of entrepreneurial activity.  In the 1860s, Washington Duke started what grew into the mega-giant American Tobacco Company from pocket change.  Businesses like Durham-based Cree and Quintiles grew from a handful of employees 25 years ago to their current status as multinational companies with thousands of employees.   

More recently, in 2011, Durham was the first stop on the US Small Business Administration’s national tour of roundtable discussions called Startup America: Reducing Barriers. In other words, entrepreneurism is an essential part of Durham’s DNA. 

With the startup landscape flourishing in Durham, the future looks brighter every day.  An influx of small business incubators and accelerators has drawn entrepreneurs to Durham from around the world, all of whom have a dream and the drive to succeed.  Organizations like JoyStick Labs, LaunchBox Digital and Bull City Forward, to name a few. 

Much of the success of these small businesses can be traced to organizations and programs that help entrepreneurs thrive.  The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Durham Inc. have hosted The Bull City Start-up Stampede, a competitive initiative matching start-up companies with free office space and technical assistance.  CED, the regional council for entrepreneurial development located in Downtown Durham also provides entrepreneurs with the necessary resources and tools to start and grow their businesses.  

Duke University recently launched a major campus-wide initiative in innovation and entrepreneurship led by Kimberly Jenkins.  A Duke alumna, Jenkins’ resume includes working with Microsoft’s Bill Gates back when it was a start-up company, leading the marketing department for Steve Jobs at NeXT, as well as stints advising companies such as Sun, Oracle and Cisco.  This effort will help keep bright graduates close by and further expand the societal impact of Duke innovations. 

Turns out, Durham is also a great place to be to work on stepping away from a business that has grown to great success, too.  Two of Durham’s entrepreneurs, Jess Eberdt and Doug Townsend, did exactly this and maneuvered away from the daily operations of their hugely successful business Parata Systems.  They started Tempus Durham, a firm that helps successful entrepreneurs do exactly as they have done, devise an exit strategy from a successful business to have freedom to pursue other things. 

Durham has myriad stories of dreams that became ideas that became realities that grew into great successes.  It’s really a city to be reckoned with when it comes to starting a business, routinely being named in the same breath as Silicon Valley.

Considering that more than 80% of relocating executives visit a location first before deciding to move their companies, the success of Durham as a visitor destination can only further encourage the natural evolution and current momentum that made Durham such a highly sought-after business climates in the U.S. 

Durham Storefront Project Brings Art to Downtown

Durham is a creative and innovative place where diverse and passionate people come together to shape a better community. This sentiment is clearly apparent through Durham’s expression of community through the arts as exemplified by the Durham Storefront Project.

Center Studio Architecture Storefront

The Durham Storefront Project is a collection of 14 art installations in the windows of historic buildings throughout downtown. Each installation features the work of a local artist in collaboration with business and property owners.

Started in late 2010, the Durham Storefront Project evolved out of a desire to increase the vibrancy in Downtown Durham while connecting artists and businesses in a meaningful and collaborative way. The Project is made up of an independent group of artists and art enthusiasts. The Durham Storefront Project has also enlisted the support of two arts organizations at the core of the Bull City's thriving arts scene: The Scrap Exchange and the Durham Arts Council.

The Durham Storefront Project opened during the Durham Art Walk Holiday Market and will remain up through January 2012. To explore the full line-up of artists and locations or download tour information, visit the Durham Storefront's website.

Update on Road Resurfacing Project

Here is a quick update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation about the current road resurfacing project.

On Friday, August 27, 2010, our contractor began the repair work that is required on Mangum Street. The repair work consists of removing the existing thin layer of asphalt and some of the stone base and replacing it with a thicker layer of asphalt. This work must be done prior to paving the final riding surface and will result in a stronger road than currently exists.

The work on Mangum Street is going to take place between the intersection of Pettigrew Street and the NC Hwy. 147 overpass. To maintain safety to the motoring public and those who will be performing the work, lane closures will be installed in this area and some of the lanes being closed will remain in place for several days. The contractor is planning to pursue the majority of this work during the day, which will increase productivity and expedite the work. It is important to remember that three of the four lanes on Mangum Street may be closed between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. during this process.

Once Mangum Street is repaired, all lanes will be opened to traffic and our contractor will move to Roxboro Street between Pettigrew Street and Main Street to make repairs in this area as well. Only one lane will be closed on Roxboro Street during this portion of the project.

Although there will be lane closures in these areas, traffic will be maintained. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes while this work is ongoing and those travelling through the work area should plan ahead to allow additional travel time. With good weather and working conditions, we anticipate that this repair work can be completed in approximately two weeks. Once the repairs are completed, the final riding surface on Mangum Street and Roxboro Street will follow.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on this project and for your continued patience as we work to make better roads for Durham.

Bull City Connector Launches August 16

Connecting Durham from the Innovation of Duke to the History of Downtown to the Creativity of Golden Belt – that is the goal of the new Bull City Connector, a convenient, frequent, and fare-free service transporting visitors, business travelers, students, and Downtown workers to key destinations in and around Durham's central corridor, including Duke University, Durham's historic Downtown, Ninth Street, and Golden Belt.

The Bull City Connector will launch its colorful hybrid-electric buses at a ceremony on Monday, August 16 and will operate every 15 minutes from 7am-6pm, Monday through Friday, and every 20 minutes 6pm to midnight, Monday through Friday. It will also run every 20 minutes 7am to Midnight on Saturday and holidays.

Stops along the route include: Duke Medical Center, Duke West Campus, Duke Central Campus, Ninth Street District, Duke East Campus, Brightleaf Square, West Village, Durham Arts Council, Durham Station & American Tobacco, Five Points, CCB Plaza, Mangum Street, Durham County Government, the Health Department, Durham Hosiery Mills, and Golden Belt.

In addition to the Bull City Connector buses, NC Central University and Duke University students and faculty who would like to use the Bull City Connector may ride DATA Route 5 fare-free between NCCU campus and Durham Station; a university ID is required.

The Bull City Connector is a service provided by the City of Durham with major support from Duke University. The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau is partnering with the City and other organizations to help market the connector, including collaborating on the production of a pocket-sized route map and other materials.

A new website, bullcityconnector.org, will go live the week of August 2, featuring the route map as well as information about points of interest near each stop.