Apartment complex with a rooftop terrace and dog park planned for Durham's University Hill

• The area has proven to be a popular destination. Crescent Communities hopes to build off that growth and even match the existing aesthetics of the University Hill development by signing onto the area's mural program.

Driving the news: A limited liability company associated with Crescent Communities paid more than $8 million for the land, located around 3737 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., according to Durham County property records.

Zoom in: The initial plans call for the construction of a five-story apartment building, called Novel UHill, with around 400 units as well as 19 freestanding for-rent townhomes.

• Among the amenities to be included at Novel UHill would be a Land of a Thousand Hills coffee shop, a fitness center, a rooftop terrace, a resort-style pool and a dog park, according to Crescent Communities.
• The first units are expected to be completed in 2026.

Crescent Communities has a long history in the Triangle, previously building the Novel Morrisville, Novel Cary and the Berkshire Main Street and Berkshire Ninth Street apartments in Durham.

State of play: The decision to add townhomes along with the apartments is part of a growing trend in the Triangle, as apartment complexes seek to add more housing options to attract renters as a record-breaking number of new apartments are hitting the market.

• Kane Realty's under-construction Rockway development near Dix Park in Raleigh also includes several townhome units, which the developer has said it believes will be more popular for renters with young families.