[Durham INC] [oldnorthdurham] Save Liberty Warehouse

[Tom Miller]

Pete is exactly right on this.

 

Tom Miller

 

From: inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org [mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org] On
Behalf Of Peter Katz
Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 3:07 PM
To: oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com
Cc: council at durhamnc.gov; inc listserv; rperry at ewp-nc.com
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] [oldnorthdurham] Save Liberty Warehouse

 

As a reminder, this is on the City Council agenda for tonight:

 

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 the staff report for more on this
<http://www.durhamnc.gov/agendas_new/2013/cm20130520/9106_STAFF_REPORT_STAFF
_REPORT_-_AMENDED_04_328280_510336.pdf> .)  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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