Walltown residents push vision for abandoned Northgate Mall
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Northgate Mall closed in 2020. Photo: Zachery Eanes/Axios
Ahead of a potential rezoning request, Durham residents of the Walltown neighborhood pushed their city council to adopt a plan that prioritizes their needs for the future of the abandoned Northgate Mall — one that includes features like small retail spaces, affordable housing and walking paths.
Why it matters: Residents of the historically Black Walltown neighborhood have expressed concerns for years about Northwood Investors' plans to turn the nearly 60-acre former mall into a life sciences campus.
- Northwood has presented several plans for the site, including adding some affordable housing for seniors and retail space in addition to life sciences, but has yet to submit a formal rezoning request for the site.
The big picture: The mall, which was a fixture of the city and an influence on the area for six decades, has sat empty for five years.
- It occupies a prominent space between downtown and Interstate 85, and its future will continue to shape the city.
Driving the news: On Monday, the city council unanimously voted to support a small area plan that hopes to guide future development at the mall and in the neighborhood around it.
- While it can't force the developer to adopt the same preferences, it could influence how the city considers rezoning proposals.
- The small area plan has been in the works since Northwood unveiled a proposal for the property last year.
Zoom in: The small area plan calls for the following preferences for the mall property:
- 🏬 A "15-minute community design" that pushes turning surface parking lots into a high-density mixed-use development that provides access to daily needs for residents.
- 💵 At least 160 units of affordable housing at 30-80% of the area median income. (A previous plan from Northwood had 72 units.)
- 🛒 Small commercial spaces that provide shopping and business opportunities for low-income residents and an affordable grocery store.
- 🌳 Open space for the public to use as well as indoor space for community-led events, like a Walltown history hub.
- 🚸 Walking paths, sidewalks and improved street design to connect the site with the surrounding community and public transportation.
- 🟢 Environmental policies like solar panels, EV chargers, increasing tree canopies, reducing impervious surfaces and the remediation of the former Sears Auto Center.
What's next: Northwood would still need to file a rezoning to add any sort of life sciences component for the site, and it remains to be seen how they incorporate the new feedback.
- A lawyer for the firm thanked residents for their feedback at the meeting, but the developer said it has no new updates yet to share on its plans.