Pardon Our Dust: 8 Exciting New Developments in Downtown and Ninth Street

If you walk around Downtown Durham or Ninth Street, it will be hard to walk more than a block without seeing something under construction or renovation. Have you ever wondered what's going on behind that caution tape or that security fence? Here are eight notable projects that will have you bragging about Durham's bright and exciting future. Read all about them, and see how Durham continues to freshen its image,

Museum of Life and Science Announces Expansion

The Museum of Life and Science is an integral part of Durham, and not only because its dinosaurs have become a familiar site for walkers along the Ellerbe Creek Trail. According to the Triangle Business Journal, the Museum was the 10^th most visited tourist destination in North Carolina last year. So when they announce a $3.9 million expansion, it’s big news for both visitors and Durham.

Learn more about this new development here:  Museum of Life and Science’s website.

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.

Durham Hosts Historic Parrish Street Forum Grand Opening April 12

History buffs should take note of a unique opportunity to celebrate Durham’s Historic Black Wall Street and modern-day renaissance with the grand opening of the Historic Parrish Street Forum.

On Thursday, April 12, 2012, at noon, the City of Durham Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the Parrish Street Advocacy Group will gather to officially open the newly renovated space, located at 108 W. Parrish St. Light refreshments will be served and attendees for this event are encouraged to park in the Chapel Hill Street Garage and Lot, located at 326 E. Chapel Hill St. 

The new space was designed to help commemorate the “Black Wall Street” era and the legacy of Black entrepreneurship in Durham; provide an additional venue for meeting space and cultural arts events; create more walking traffic along Parrish Street; and be a catalyst for more retail purchasing and businesses locating on Parrish Street.

Speakers at the grand opening include Parrish Street Advocacy Group Chairman Chuck Watts; Mayor William V. “BillR 21; Bell; N.C. House Representative Larry D. Hall; N.C. Institute of Minority Economic Development President Andrea Harris; N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Company President and CEO James Speed; Pauli Murray Project Director Barbara Lau; and Office of Economic and Workforce Development Director Kevin Dick.

The forum is 3,251 total square feet and can accommodate up to 49 people. The new space can provide banquet and conference tables, chairs, a kitchenette, a presentation screen, and ceiling-mounted projector as well as a podium and microphone. Community organizations, groups, or individuals interested in renting the space should visit the Parrish Street Forum website for details and contact information.

Durham Gets Second Census Research Data Center Lab

Durham's prominence as a research center is well known around the world.  With the release below, that position gets even stronger.  Durham will now have not one, but two Census Research Data Centers.  In addition to the Triangle Census Research Data Center (TCRDC) located on Duke University's campus--one of only nine centers in the U.S. and the only one in the Southeast--the Census is opening a new laboratory in Research Triangle Park in Durham. 

Below is a portion of the media advisory released minutes ago:



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCT. 14, 2010

***CENSUS BUREAU MEDIA ADVISORY***

New Census Research Data Center Lab to Open in Research Triangle Park

What: Officials from the U.S. Census Bureau, RTI International, Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open a new Census Research Data Center (RDC) laboratory. The new lab, the Triangle Consortium Research Data Center, is actually a branch of the existing Triangle RDC at Duke University in Durham, N.C. RDCs are secure Census Bureau facilities where researchers from academia, federal agencies and other institutions with approved projects receive restricted access to unpublished Census Bureau demographic and economic microdata files.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010; 1 p.m. (EDT)

Who: Robert Groves, director, U.S. Census Bureau  and Victoria F. Haynes, president and chief executive officer, RTI International

Where: RTI International, Building 7, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709

Note: Videography and photography will be permitted. Directions to the RTI.  International campus and a campus map can be found at http://www.rti.org/pubs/rti_international_maps.pdf.

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.

Something more is brewing in the Bull City

Word is spreading fast that Durham, the Foodiest Small Town in America according to Bon Appetit, is the place for fresh, local, and tasty food and beer. From conversations on the street to feature articles in The New York Times, there is no denying the explosion of food and drink options in the Bull City.

The latest announcement, from Seth Gross, co-founder of Wine Authorities, is for the Bull City Burger and Brewery scheduled to open in Downtown Durham in February 2011. The restaurant will feature house made hamburgers and hotdogs from North Carolina grass fed beef, and freshly brewed beer from an on premises full-scale brewery.

Click here to read the full release and for more details on the project and be sure to support all of the more than 550 restaurants in Durham.

Road Resurfacing Update

Amongst the many missions of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, one is to ensure that information about our community is shared effectively and swiftly. A topic on many minds of late is the street resurfacing project undertaken by the NCDOT. Linked is a news advisory from the NCDOT on the matter that should answer most questions. Please contact Durham News Service or the NCDOT if some questions remain.