[Durham INC] Another voice for the preservation of Liberty Warehouse/re: tonight's City Council meeting 7pm

[Debra A Hawkins]

Dear Members of Council, 

 

I would like to echo the concern expressed in the message(s) below regarding
the historic landmark status for Liberty Warehouse. I know much is afoot to
create different pathways to preservation for this important site and
structure, but in my humble opinion this only serves to underscore the
desirability and need for its landmark status to remain, showing our
commitment to Durham's and Carolina's unique heritage. And perhaps to be
enshrined in a dedication at the site, re-purposed in a way that reflects
the connected past and future of our city and the values we represent. Thank
you again for all of the hard work and vision you are bringing to the
growing face of the Durham we love. 

 

Kind regards, 

 

Debra A. Hawkins, new-ish resident, member, NPNA and INC

 

  _____  

From: inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org [mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org] On
Behalf Of Brett Walters
Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 4:55 PM
To: council at ci.durham.nc.us; council at durhamnc.gov
Cc: inc listserv; dukeforestneighbors at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Durham INC] preserve Liberty Warehouse

 

Members of Council,

 

I am writing as a concerned citizen extremely bothered by the idea that the
Council may vote tonight to remove historic landmark status for Liberty
Warehouse a mere 2 years after enacting it.  If you vote to remove the
historic landmark status, this will inevitably lead to the tearing down of
the 200,000 square foot historic building, thus opening the entire location
to new development.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize the
vibrancy of culture and economic life taking place at Central Park /
Farmer's Market area is not just due to buy-in and support of the the City
and locally-owned businesses, but also because of the beauty and character
of the environs.  

 

Durham has made enormous strides in the past 10 years, please don't force us
to take a step back.  We all know that developers will not always build with
a city's (or citizenry's) interests at stake: what's to stop this developer
from putting businesses that don't complement the activity going on in the
area now?  The Central Park district now has one of the best Farmer's
Markets in NC if not the entire Southeast; why put this in jeopardy? 

 

Please vote in favor of preserving Historic Landmark Status for the Liberty
Warehouse.

 

best regards,

 

Brett Walters

Duke Forest Neighborhood

 

2728 Sevier Street

Durham, NC 27705

------------------------------

With the majority of Council Members signaling that they will approve
removal of the historic landmark status, I'm particularly concerned about
what will replace the Liberty Warehouse -- in the absence of the design
oversight which will have been eliminated.  The developer, East West
Partners, accurately perceives the desirability of the location but I'm
concerned that they do not fully understand the nature of the area's appeal.
Early designs look as if they intend to literally cut-and-paste a structure
from the Streets at SouthPoint <http://www.streetsatsouthpoint.com/> . or
another equally antithetical location.

 

Some folks seem to think that anything which replaces the Liberty Warehouse
will be an improvement, but I would caution against that notion.  The
district is already thriving, despite the current condition of the building,
and there are things that could jeopardize its progression.  For example, at
the moment we know very little about this developer's retail strategy.
Consider what 50,000 square feet of franchises would look like here...
should we brace for a Starbucks, Pizza Hut, or perhaps a Cheescake Factory
directly across from our Farmer's Market?  I think a lot of us would at
least rest a little easier if we knew this was going to compliment the ethic
of the district and support local business.

 

Another concern that I have is how the 250 rental units fit into the City's
housing objectives.  We do want more residential infill and density, yet
most recent developments nearby seem geared toward folks interested in
high-end condos or lofts.  This will have the effect of pushing more
affordable housing out of the city center and toward areas of already
concentrated poverty.  It would be nice to see some mixed income housing
options throughout the city and unless we make this more of a priority it
will remain an afterthought.

 

Of course the landmark designation itself only provides a modicum of design
oversight and is not intended for the purposes I'm describing.  But let's
face it -- if the landmark status is removed it will be a contravention of
its actual intended purpose in order to favor unfettered redevelopment of
this site.  Given that the justification offered on its merit is arguably
disingenuous (even those who originally disagreed with the initial
designation of landmark status must find the stated rationale somewhat
cynical:  see
<http://www.durhamnc.gov/agendas_new/2013/cm20130520/9106_STAFF_REPORT_STAFF
_REPORT_-_AMENDED_04_328280_510336.pdf>  the staff report for more on this.)
and given that the developer has made the project contingent on removal of
the landmark status, why wouldn't we at least ask for some public outreach
and a well-conceived, fully-developed plan first?

 

For more information and discussion have a look at the article on Open
Durham: http://www.opendurham.org/news/liberty-warehouse-heading-fall

 

-Peter Katz

 

 

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