Northgate area's transformation grows with nearly 300 apartments

Driving the news: The new apartment project — called Vara Trinity Park and being built by The Spectrum Cos. — will have 267 units split between three different buildings.

• The project, at 1618 North Duke St., sits around an existing church and will have entrances and exits on both Duke Street and Club Boulevard.
• Plans submitted to the city also show 374 parking spaces.

The big picture: Notably, affordable housing could be a component of the project.

• Residents of nearby Walltown, one of Durham's oldest historically Black neighborhoods, have been pushing the city and developers to include affordable housing at the former Northgate Mall property — and while that has not happened yet, these units would be within walking distance of the mall property.

What they're saying: A spokesperson for Spectrum Cos. said around 20% of the units are set aside for those making 60% of the area median income in collaboration with the Durham Housing Authority. (Median household income in Durham was around $81,000 in 2024, according to the Census Bureau.

• A spokesperson for DHA did not confirm those details, but said in a statement the agency "cherish[es] the opportunity to work with public/private partnerships to create new opportunities for affordable housing."