[Durham INC] Fwd: TOMORROW: Northgate Mall Redevelopment Meeting (5-29 at 6pm)

[Mimi Kessler]

Please cross post. All residents in Durham should participate in this
redevelopment effort. Very few sites "close in" with this amount of acreage
that will come up for redevelopment. We should all participate and support
the work Walltown started and use this as a benchmark for Small Area
Planning.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Brandon J. Williams <brandonjhudson at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, May 28, 2024 at 12:27 PM
Subject: TOMORROW: Northgate Mall Redevelopment Meeting (5-29 at 6pm)
To: Brandon J. Williams <brandonjhudson at gmail.com>


Dear Walltown neighbors and Durham residents,


The Walltown Community Association asks people across Durham to attend a
virtual rezoning meeting TOMORROW, Wednesday, May 29th, from 6pm to 7pm. It
is hosted by Northwood Investors, the company that owns Northgate Mall. *You
need to register to attend online, but you can also call in (instructions
below)*.

Help us tell Northwood Investors that if they want to rezone Northgate
Mall, they need to participate in the City's official Small Area Planning
process.

Since 2018, Walltown has led efforts to create a community-centered vision
for Northgate Mall (see our report "Building a Place for All People
<https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60172f212e514a5b86eda855/t/608401f56a87341dd3dacf40/1619264025196/Northgate+Mall+Redevelopment+Survey+Report+%284.24.2021%29.pdf>").
We have engaged over 600 residents through surveys, focus groups,
presentations, and a 2021 press conference <https://youtu.be/xsZXjeP-ADc>.

In February 2023, we designed an alternative plan focused on community needs
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pI_5IuroUek4_UYH6ghg4sMzB5UESmQH/view>,
not just scientific labs. Our priorities for redevelopment include:

   -

   Affordable Housing: 30% of units priced for people earning $37,222 or
   less per year.
   -

   Affordable Retail: A grocery store paying living wages, and spaces for
   local, BIPOC-owned businesses.
   -

   Community Spaces: A greenspace connecting to Walltown Park and a
   community space like a library branch with a Walltown history hub.
   -

   Environmental Sustainability: Reducing the amount of concrete surface to
   limit impacts of stormwater flooding and heat islands
   <https://www.epa.gov/heatislands#:~:text=Heat%20islands%20are%20urbanized%20areas,as%20forests%20and%20water%20bodies.>
   .

*The City of Durham’s Small Area Planning process for Northgate Mall is the
best path to an equitable redevelopment that achieves these priorities* and
benefits everyone involved (learn more about Small Area Plans
<https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/departments/neighborhood-plans>).
Background

Four years ago, Northwood Investors started buying Northgate Mall. By 2019,
they owned the whole property except the old Macy's building (which is
owned by Duke University Health System).

In 2021, Northwood proposed a plan with housing, retail, and office space.
However, it did not meet community expectations. They said they would
negotiate community benefits when requesting a zoning change to build
taller buildings (Phase Two).

In 2022, Northwood proposed a new plan focused on scientific research labs
and offices. Again, it did not consider the community’s needs.

In February 2024, thanks to Walltown’s efforts, the City of Durham agreed
to develop a Small Area Plan for Northgate Mall and the surrounding
area. Walltown
believes this planning process allows all stakeholders (the City,
residents, Northwood, and Duke) to design and develop the site together.
What's Happening Now?

Northwood's new plan includes scientific labs, retail, and housing. While
an improvement, it still does not meet our neighborhood and city's needs.
On Wednesday, Northwood is hosting a required community meeting for their
rezoning application.

According to their letter, "The developer is considering submitting an
application to request a rezoning to Commercial General with a development
plan (CG(D)) to allow for Research and Development uses in addition to
office, retail, residential, and amenity/park space."
Attend the Virtual Meeting

The meeting is THIS Wednesday, May 29th, 6:00PM - 7:00PM Eastern Time.


*To attend online:*


   - Go to https://morningstarlaw.group/05292024mtg and register. You'll
   get instructions to access the meeting.

*To attend by phone:*


   - Call +1-301-715-8592, +1-309-205-3325, or +1-305-224-1968
   - Enter Webinar ID: 820 2752 9245
   - Enter Passcode: 019501
   - You'll be asked to identify yourself and your address when calling in.

We encourage joining online so you can use interactive features like Chat
and Q&A.

Per Northwood’s letter, Contact Nil Ghosh at 919-590-0362 or
nghosh at morningstarlawgroup.com if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Walltown Community Association
-- 
Brandon J. Williams
he/him/his
919.308.3900
www.walltown.net
"From beatboxers to beat breakers, like the yellow brick road, we go where
the beat takes us..."


-- 
Mimi Kessler
919-599-2892
"Democracy is not a spectator sport" - John Deen
Please vote every chance you get.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.deltaforce.net/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20240528/1cc719f6/attachment.htm>